


Crushed Hearts

by RK128



Category: Adventure Time, Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Cross-Over with Adventure Time for Some Chapters, Destiny, Drama, Emotional Truma and Character Growth, F/M, Humor/Adventure, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2018-11-12 01:55:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 71,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11151768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RK128/pseuds/RK128
Summary: Marco Diaz decided to sneak into the Blood Moon Ball to ensure his best friend Star Butterfly would be okay. To his utter shock, she bonded under the blood moon with Tom. The broken boy comes back to Earth realizing his true feelings, being forced to face hard truths and grow. Can he remain best friends with Star? Or will new friendships be forged and restored?





	1. Broken Chains

Marco Diaz is the safe kid of Echo Creek, so him crashing a demon blood moon ball is something even he would scoff at. But here Marco was, leaning on a (seemingly) flesh covered wall while drinking what he assumes to be punch. Donning 'Day of the Dead' styled outfit, he blends in with the crowd of monsters well enough.

Watching his best friend Star Butterfly dance and laugh with the demon Tom has Marco fuming internally, but he doesn't mind. Really. I mean, he really does mind but if Star is happy, Marco feels happy. His attention is drifted to some older demon, coughing loudly. "Everyone here gathered tonight, we celebrate the Blood Moon. It has the power to bind the souls of two lucky lovers forever under its ruby light."

"Wow…" Star says in shock, her gloved hands covering her cheeks. Hearing how romantic it all sounds makes her decision to take up Tom's offer all the more worthwhile. She is honestly shocked to see him so calm and collected, as she broke up with the demon due to his anger issues.

"It really is impressive Starship." Tom says while fixing his white suit jacket. The demon is very pleased with tonight's events. Sure, he got his hand chopped off by Star's human friend, but after spending such a lovely night with his love…the demon feels on top of the world. 55 Days of anger control and personal growth has paid off for the demon. Even if he isn't selected, he feels content knowing Star had fun with him. "So…you want to dance?"

"Sounds fun!" Star shouts while dragging her date to the center of the ballroom. They dance and sway to the music, unaware of a bitter skeleton watching the scene. Marco feels tempted to walk up to the smug demon and deck him violently in the face…but he cannot do that. Seeing his friend so happy and filled with joy, both angers and overwhelms the boy. The skeleton sighs and leans on his wall, watching the two dance with elegance and grace.

The mythical blood light soon shines down, hitting Star and Tom. The two continue dancing, unfazed by new sensations overwhelming them. For Marco however, time freezes when the two get their faces close together.

"Tom…"

"Star…"

Marco feels broken, watching Star kiss Tom with passion. At this point, he feels weak in the knees and passes out cold. No one notices though, just continuing the dance, leaving the broken skeleton alone. Hours seemingly pass with a familiar demon shaking Marco. The demon prince is surprised to see a guest still present at the party but he is pushed to help the creature at by Star, who is worried about the lonely skeleton.

"Dude…wake up." Marco opens his eyes, feeling weak. He spots Tom giving him a concerned look. "You okay? Been out cold for the past three hours."

"I'm fine." Marco hissed, pushing Tom away but his mask falls off. Shocking Star and Tom, they grow confused expressions. "Yes, I came here. I know you hate me Star, but I was worried. But I was wrong, wasn't I Tom." He stands up, feeling hidden rage, guilt and sadness overwhelming him. "Going home…you can stay here for all I care Star." Marco marches off and using the bell & hammer, heads home. Star feels deeply confused by Marco's temper, with Tom feeling similar.

"What got into him?" He asks casually, making Star pout. "Oh, I get it. It's fine but he needs to realize that we are together."

"Yeah…" Star sighs with defeat. "I wish he would just trust me. I can do things alone."

Tom studies his loved one's troubled expression, gently placing his pale hand on her uncovered shoulder. "Hey Starship. It will be okay."

"Thanks Tom." Star hugs her boyfriend, joyful they could have a fun night together. "I had a great night. I never knew you could dance that good."

He chuckles loudly. "Well, it's a demons secret. Go off, I think you have…school was it?"

"Ugh…I hate school." Star pouts as she uses her scissors. "See you later Hot Head." As she leaves through the portal, Tom covers his beating heart. Thumping like a little rabbit, he feels connected to Star. Growing a dumb smile, he snaps his fingers and summons some minions.

"Gentlemen? We got some cleaning to do." Tom joins his minions in cleaning up the ball room, filled with joyous thoughts of his possible future with Star.

* * *

 

Star comes back to Earth but notices the atmosphere is more somber then before. Looking in her room, she spots a bowl of nachos and a half-finished soda drink. On her bed is a piece of paper, with a mask covering the sheet but Star knows who it's from. "Marco…" She begins reading the paper.

_Hey Star,_

_Sorry if I ruined your night and you likely know I have feelings for you. It…it's fine if you want to be with Tom. I watched you two the entire night and I'm happy he changed for the better. Hope you two are happy together. But considering things, I need space from you. Even though going to the ball was wrong, as you wanted to go alone, I got hurt all the same._

_I will respect you dating Tom and not get in the way of anything. While I hope we can be friends still, I doubt that after tonight. Please…just leave me alone. I cannot face you now._

_Sorry for being a bad friend but…I'm deeply hurt._

_From,_

_Marco Diaz_

_P.S.: I made nachos for you in the fridge and got a movie set up for you. Have fun._

Star felt crushed reading this, but understood Marco's words. He wanted to be her friend still, but needs time to recover from things. However, Star is anything but understanding; she is stubborn sometimes. Gently putting the letter down, she grabs Marco's mask and walks toward his door. "Marco? You left something in my room."

He opens his door and Star feels surprised. Marco is wearing another mask, but it's hiding something. Little does the princess know, it's is hiding a sobbing Marco Diaz. "You read my letter? If so, please leave me alone. I'm sorry for coming to the ball." The boy closes the door but Star uses her white booted feet to keep it open. Marco grows irritated and his voice turns bitter. "I said I wanted to be alone."

"Why are you mad with me? I can't have a night out?" Marco pushes the door open and folds his arms.

He shoots a glare toward the princess, her making shiver. "I could be more bitter and angry if I want, but I won't be. I have no right to be honestly. But please. Leave. Me. Alone." Marco gently pushes her back and slams his door shut.

Star feels completely baffled at his action but sighs. Going back to her room, she throws herself on the bed, holding on the skull mask fondly. Marco meanwhile cries himself to sleep, feeling angry and ashamed of himself.

* * *

 

The morning has the two teens wake up, but not like they normally do. Marco is already leaving for school, not saying a word to Star. The princess isn't happy with the cold shoulder treatment but gives up, having breakfast alone. "Estella? Why are you eating alone?" Star looks up and spots Mrs. Diaz sitting next to her. "Normally you and my son are chatting away about something over breakfast."

Star sighed and put down her spoon. "I think he hates me now, so just giving him space. Marco even told me that if I left, he wouldn't be mad or anything." She pouts and leans on the counter. But Mrs. Diaz feels anger, both at Star and Marco. But for very different reasons. The woman makes a mental note to speak with Marco after school but she stands up, giving a stern look at Star. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing…just get ready and wash your bowl when you finish eating sweetie." Mrs. Diaz says calmly, walking towards the stairs. Star felt something off about what she considered her 'second mother' but shrugged it off, continuing her meal. Meanwhile, Mrs. Diaz shakes her husband awake.

"What's wrong?" Mr. Diaz rubs his eyes, chapping his lips. He spots his wife's angry expression, making him snap awake like a toy soldier. "Oh no, what happened?"

"Marco fell in love with another house guest." Mr. Diaz groans internally and throws himself on the bed. "What did we tell him? How that isn't a good idea?"

"I can't blame him for getting close with Star dear. They get along perfectly with each other and she is a princess. But…I agree. Our son knows this by now." He sits back up, looking somber. "They never stay forever."

"I will be speaking to him about this when he comes home. But I'm bitter our guest seemingly broke his heart." Mrs. Diaz looks down, morphing her normally peppy face into a frown. Mr. Diaz places his large hand on her shoulder. "What should we do?"

"Let them sort things out on their own. If it gets out of hand…" Mr. Diaz sighs before finishing. "We will think of something."

"Sounds fair dear." The give each other a kiss and hug one another before getting ready for the day, worried about the teens under their care.

* * *

 

Walking to school alone, Marco feels conflicting emotions rage inside him. But he knows, honestly, he shouldn't be angry at Star. "She is my friend…and I accept her wishes. But it still hurts." He unconsciously placed a right hand over his chest, clenching it tightly. "Going to move on from this…I have to."

Unknowing to Marco, his favorite stalker was watching from the shadows. She has been paying keen attention to Marco since last night, noticing how he has been fighting with Star over some ball. "Now's my chance." The beanie clad girl says to herself. Sneaking behind Marco, she taps his shoulder.

"AH! I will defeat you monster!" Marco leaps back and enters combative stance. He studies the girl and sighs. "Oh…it's you Janna."

"Not happy to see me hot stuff?" She playfully teases. Marco only folds his arms and shoots a glare in response. "Okay, sorry. What's up?"

"Well…outside of my heart being broken by my best friend, nothing much." Janna stops in place, having her eye twitch. "Yes, I like Star. Does that really shock you?"

"N-No." She stutters, trying to calm herself down. "But she broke your heart? She is a cool chick."

"Remember that ball thing I was angry over?" Janna just nods, understanding what Marco said. "Well, she went to it and I snuck around." The girl grins and throws her arm around Marco's shoulders.

"I'm so proud of you, finally tapping into your inner thief. My lessons have been paying off." For the first time in hours, Marco burst into laughter. Janna just echoed him, laughing soon after. "Seriously though, impressive stuff. That was the underworld, right? Monsters, evil clowns, the works?"

"Yep. The walls were even covered with flesh…I think." Janna rolled her eyes. "What? Too tame for you?"

"I would have the walls covered with bleeding flesh and crawling spiders." Marco backed away with horror before chuckling slightly. "So what did you see?"

"I saw Star dancing with her ex-boyfriend, though I think he is her boyfriend again." Janna could tell the sadness seeping through Marco's voice but let him continue. "I watched them, fearful of Tom exploding, but he never did. He remained calmed, collected and honestly, charming. Star looked really happy…and that is what bugs me the most." Marco stopped moving, with Janna studying his shaky posture.

"You don't have to say anything else…I can picture what happened next honestly." Janna says softly. Marco let's a lone tear come down his face before wiping it away.

"Thanks. So…I'm just keeping my space before I can face Star again." Janna just sighs and throws her arm around Marco's neck. "Thanks for being here. Nice to talk with someone."

"Hey, what are friends for? Besides, you helped me with those jerks back in grade school." Marco's eyes grew wide before a playful grin formed on his face. Janna catches that and smirks back. "Oh, remember that prank we pulled."

"Yeah, I was quite the trouble maker when I was little. Wonder why everyone calls me safe kid now…" Janna and Marco shrug but continue chatting while going into Echo Creek High.

* * *

 

Star Butterfly is infamous for being bright, bubbly and joyful about more or less anything. Fighting dangerous monsters? Give her a lot of thrills. Hopping across dimensions? Easy peasey. Trying to pick apart the teenage boy mind? That is something tricky for the princess. Since learning that her best friend likes her after the Blood Moon Ball and feeling content dating Tom again, having conflicting emotions is eating her up a bit.

"You okay?" Star jumps at the sound of a bright voice, breaking her jumbled thoughts. "Calm down girl, you act like you saw a ghost or something." She kicks her skateboard and leans on a railing.

"Hey Jackie, got a lot on my mind." The princess sighs and slouches down near the school entrance. Jackie pouts, hating seeing her friend down in the dumps. She skates closer and sits next to Star.

"Is it about that ball thing?" Star nods in response. Jackie sighs and throws her arm around Star's shoulders, patting her back. "You went with that hot demon dude right?"

"Yep and I had a great time. We are even dating again!" Star says joyfully, making her skater friend smile. But once noticing Star's sigh, Jackie wonders what's wrong. "But Marco saw me and Tom kiss."

"What is the problem with that?" Jackie's eyes soon grow wide, realizing what Star implied. "Wow. I knew you two were best friends but man, him having a crush on you?"

"I know!" Star shouts in frustration. "I didn't know and now he hates me."

"Hate? Marco?" Jackie just chuckles. "I may not know the guy well but 'hate' is likely not part of Marco's vocab. He is a really nice guy and him hating you of all people? I strongly doubt that girl." She rubs her neck. "Did you…talk to him about things?"

Star played with her fingers, feeling guilty. "No. He slammed the door in my face once I confronted him about things last night."

"Ouch." Jackie and Star hear, looking behind them. Janna is leaning on a wall, smirking madly. "So the princess really has fangs. To think you would be kinder to the boy. Tisk Tisk." The beanie clad girl wags her finger and threw her arms around Jackie and Star. "So when do we get to meet hellboy? Does he have sexy demon slaves to please him?"

Star grows a shocked look but Jackie just laughed. "Janna…knock it off. You will scare Star away." The skater girl is trying hard to retain composure while Star is shaking. "Star…calm down. Janna is just joking."

"Yeah, I don't know the guy." Janna poked Star's face. "You broken or somethin?"

"I…I'm fine." Star took a deep breath and calmed down. "Janna…you scoundrel." The princess grew a dark grin. "Want to be turned into a toad?"

"Um…" Janna laughed nervously. "Well, would you look at the time. Gotta dash!" She darts away but soon crashes into Marco. "Watch it Diaz!"

"Janna! Ugh, please be more careful." He helps pick up her dropped books and papers. "Here, but seriously. What are you running from?" He looks behind her, spotting Jackie and Star. "Oh…" He leans close to her ear. "Can we both run like headless chicken? I can say you stole my keys."

"Sounds good." Janna whispers. Both cough loudly and Janna dangles Marco's keys. "I got your keys safe kid!" She darts ahead, with Marco running after her.

"Get back here!" Marco runs off, pretending to not notice Jackie and Star.

"Is it me or are they closer today?" Jackie asks, but Star ponders on that comment. She shrugged it off, as Janna is Marco's friend and he needs someone to talk with. But she feels slightly empty, knowing he's bonding with someone other than her.

 


	2. New Bonds

Janna and Marco are panting, tired from 'chasing' each other. Both give each other playful smirks and laugh in their homeroom class. "That was fun Marco."

"You said it troublemaker." Marco laughs but Janna freezes in place. She is shocked Marco is calling her 'pet' name. He notices her stunned expression. "Did I say something wrong? Um…sorry Janna."

"No…" She takes a deep breath to calm down. "You just…haven't called me 'troublemaker' in a playful tone since we were kids."

"Really?" Marco scratches his head. "Huh. That's odd. Guess I'm just being a real friend to you finally." Janna is shocked yet again of Marco. She ponders if Star 'breaking the chain' so to speak was the best thing for Marco.

"I…really like this." Janna smiles fondly, giving Marco an honest smile. The boy feels warm in response to this, mildly blushing. "Hope we can hang out more dude."

Marco grows a smile and thinks that everything will be okay now. If Star doesn't like him? Well…others are bound to. "Same here." The fist bump and chat idly in class, but both are unaware of a princess watching in complete shock. Star knew Janna might have had a thing for Marco but seeing them get along so well… It reminded Star of how Marco acts around her. Before dark thoughts entered her mind a light punch in her arm got the princess focused.

"Hey Star." Jackie says with a smile. The girl notices Star's confused expression, drifted over to Marco and Janna. Jackie notices and smiles. "Knew those two would hit it off at some point. She teased him enough. Wait…don't tell me you're jealous?"

"What?! No…" Star plays with her fingers before sighing. "Look, I just miss him being that friendly with me."

"Girl." Jackie says in mild annoyance. "You just told me you are dating a demon lord…prince…whatever. I'm sure you and Marco will still be friends, but don't expect to be that close anymore. Your friendship was oddly physical anyway. Just…focus on class." Jackie sits in her seat in annoyance, feeling that Star took Marco for granted. The princess only sighed yet again and followed her friend's advice.

* * *

The bell rings, telling the students they can escape class. Everyone darts out of the room like wild animals, but four teens remained. Star leaned on her desk, pouting at being bored. "What's wrong Star?" The princess springs to life hearing her best friend's voice.

"Hey Marco! Happy you are feeling better." Janna gives Star a baffled look. "What?"

"Didn't you cause him to feel crappy anyway?" Star deflates, but Marco shoots Janna a look. "Okay, will ease up on the princess. Jeez. Anyway, see you later dude." They fist bump and Marco smiles as she leaves. Star notices and gives Marco a look.

"What?" Marco pieces together things and grows a bitter face. "Oh. Just because I'm annoyed with you, I can't talk with another girl? If I'm not mistaken, you are dating Tom now. Sorry for not telling you everything about my life…but then again, you told me nothing about Tom."

Star is taken aback by the bitter tone but shake it off. Standing her ground, she gets up and pokes Marco in the chest. "At least I'm still trying to talk with you. You keep avoiding me."

"Well I don't want to get hurt again!" Marco shouts in the empty classroom. "I mean…sigh. I admit, I was a jerk last night snapping at you twice. And sneaking into that ball wasn't the right thing to do, a betrayal of your trust. But at the same time, I never said _anything_ about your dating life. I accepted you pinning over Oskar and despite my anger toward that spineless demon, I will accept you dating Tom." He sighs and begins walking away. "However you need to accept that we can't be super close anymore. I want to be friends still. I really do. But I know you are dating Tom and I want to move on. Please, let me." He leave and closes the door.

"Wow…Marco really got more outspoken lately." Jackie stated, something surprising Star. Guess the two troubled teens didn't notice the skater girl leaning on the wall, having a wide grin watching the discussion. "You heard him. Respect his choices like he respected yours." The skater girl walked off, leaving Star alone.

"…Marco is right." She says with determination. The princess gets up and walks out of the room. As the day goes by, Star slowly realizes Marco and her will never be close as they once were. The thought haunts her, but she lets the smell of a sandwich cloud her senses. Being lunch period, everyone is having fun chatting away. Despite the tension, Marco and Star are still sitting at their table together, with the rest of their friends joining them. Even Jackie is sitting with the group, with Marco holding a discussion with her.

"So you still have that monster arm inside you Marco?" Jackie asks, with Marco just shrugging his shoulders. "Can you summon it? It was cool."

"Not a good idea. Star helped the thing go away and I don't want it to eat anyone." Marco shivered at the thought, remembering when it almost ate his rival. Star just giggles, with Janna soon joining.

"Spent two whole days trying to find the right spell." Star yawns, almost ironically. "Glad it's sleeping."

"Sleeping?" Marco says with panic.

"Ease up Marco. It won't come out again." Marco leans back down, with Alfonzo and Ferg growing a smirk on their face.

"I heard about that ball thing. You had fun going to it Star?" Alfonzo asks, but Marco violently elbows him. "Hey!"

"Sour topic." He mumbles, biting his burger harshly. Janna sighs while Jackie rolls her eyes. Star doesn't pay attention to her disgruntled friend and answers Alfonzo's question.

"It was fun meet all kinds of monsters and creatures. Even reunited with my ex and he seemed a lot better." Marco hated how little tact or respect Star had for his request to 'move on' from things.

"I need some air. Want to come with me Janna?" Marco asks, making his friend nod. The duo leave making Star sigh in annoyance.

"Really smooth moves Star. It's like Marco will come back to you with a snap of your wrist." Jackie says mockingly.

"Wow…you turned down Marco?" Alfonzo and Ferg say in unison. Star grits her teeth before tapping the table impatiently. Ferg speaks up and folds his arms in annoyance.

"He seemed really down about the whole thing. Guess I can see why though. We _are_ losers, so I get why you did what you did Star." She is taken aback by the comment, growing wide eyes. "That is the truth though. Marco, myself and Alfonzo are losers. Been that way for years. I try to woe the ladies but nothing worked…though Pixie Queen still talks with me for some reason."

"Because she wants to eat you." Star mumbles. Jackie raises an eyebrow, catching that comment.

* * *

Marco and Janna are sitting outside the school, eating their food near the baseball stadium. "I don't get her! I explained how I wanted to move on but she just blabbers about that night like it's something special." Janna pats his back gently.

"She surprisingly lacks tact for a princess. Not being able read people could be a problem." She says seriously. Marco takes a bite out of his burger and leans on his arm. "Look…it's going to be okay."

"I know. At least we are getting closer again. So… _something_ good came out of this mess." Janna smiles, glad knowing Marco feels similar to what she thinks. "Hey, want to catch a movie or something later?"

"Wow, so I'm your sloppy seconds?" Janna cooed but Marco was not amused. "Okay, but that sounds good. I pick the movie."

"Uh…no." Marco holds up his hand. "You will pick something with 'Shades' or 'Grey' and I won't have it." Janna madly laughs before wiping a tear away. "Right on the money…there is a new horror film, so maybe you would like that."

"So I could cuddle in your arms? Smooth moves Diaz." Marco sighs and rubs his forehead.

"I _suggested_ that due to knowing how much you love spooky stuff. What? You want to see some romance movie or something?" Janna shivers. "Thought so."

"So it's a date?" Marco's body stiffens. "Kidding! You are so easy to tease."

"…Glad you are having fun at my expense." Marco slugs down his milk carton. Janna feels at peace, spending time with her childhood friend.

* * *

School ends and despite everything, Marco walks home with his princess friend. But they are joined by Janna.

"So love birds, plans for today?" Janna teases, but Marco wants to scream at that comment. Star rolls her eyes but notices Marco's bitter gaze. "Joking but me and Diaz are seeing a movie later. Why not invited Demon face and make it a double date?"

"But it's not a date Janna." Marco says defensively but soon sighs after spotting Janna's somber face. "Sorry, but that isn't something to joke about." Star wants to say something but is quiet. "But that isn't a bad idea." Marco cracks his fists. "Want to talk with Tom anyway."

"You aren't beating up my boyfriend. Bad enough you chopped his hand off Marco…" Star says causally. Marco takes this the wrong way and just grins at Star.

"…Princess, I could take on armies of Ludo's minions. I could likely chop, say, his head off. Or maybe an arm of two." Star and Janna look horrified, but Marco soon laughs madly. "The look on your faces! But seriously, I do want to talk with him. Even if we are…strained, I want to make sure he doesn't hurt you Star."

"But he won't Marco." She holds up her wand, glowing a faint shade of green. If Marco wasn't so annoyed, he would have noticed this. "I can defend myself."

"Yeah, I know. You don't need a hero. I got that _clear_ Star." He shakes a bit before calming down. "Sorry…"

"It's okay Marco." Janna puts her arm on Marco's shoulder. "Just…want to walk ahead? We will catch up." He just nods and walks, but Janna soon gives an angry glare toward Star. "Look I normally joke around and poke fun at things but I'm being real here." She places her hands on Star's shoulders, giving a stern look into her blue eyes. "Hurt my friend like you did last night again, and I _will_ make you pay. Got it?" Star only nods, surprised at how aggressive the normally lax Janna is. "Good…sorry for that. But hate seeing him hurt. I was his first real friend you know."

"Really?" Star asks in surprise. Janna only nods. "What was Marco like younger?"

"A lot less safe, I will tell you that." Janna says with a grin. "We got into so much trouble together. But as he got older, we sorta…drifted apart. Tease him because I want him to be a good friend again, which…thanks to _your_ recent decision, is happening again."

"You think that…he replaced me?" Star says in shock. Janna shrugs her shoulders. "Oh…okay."

"Look, he wants to be your friend but keep throwing Tom and the Ball in his face, he will avoid you more." Janna says casually. The two girls walk in silence from this point onward, with Star thinking deeply about Janna's words.

* * *

Arriving at the Diaz Household, the tension from last night is largely gone but the three teens are surprised to see Mr. and Mrs. Diaz sitting on the couch with serious expressions.

"Seems like this isn't for me soooo…" Janna tries to weasel out of the situation but Marco grabs her arm.

"You don't need to worry…I know this talk. You can wait up in my room if you want or head into the kitchen. Likely know this place better then myself." Janna and Marco chuckle, earning a smile from the Diaz parents. Janna races into the kitchen with Marco intently watching his parents. "I know what you are going to tell me guys. That I was stupid for falling in love with our house guest. And you are correct. But this won't be a problem, I assure you."

Star is baffled hearing this and realizing why the Diaz's are on the couch, she feels like a bad guy. Hurting Marco and his friends. She begins running to her room but is surprised by an electric touch. "Marco?"

"Hey. You are my friend regardless of everything Star." He grows a stupid smile. "Just…relax, okay? Nothing to worry about. You still have a home on Earth. _Right_ Mom? Dad?" Marco shoots a serious look to his parents, which they nod to.

"Yes…glad you sorted things out. I didn't want you two to feel…odd here." Mr. Diaz finally comments. "Why not relax and watch TV?" He gets up and goes toward his room, while Mrs. Diaz has more firm gaze toward the two.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Diaz. I didn't mean too…" She walks toward Star and places warm hands on her shoulders. Star hugs her tight. "Thank you."

"No problems my little Estrella." Mrs. Diaz pats Star's back gently and they let go. "You kids have fun now, okay?" She walks upstairs after her husband. Star and Marco give each other a confused look before laughing.

"Sorry about that Star. Um…my parents are a bit protective sometimes."

"Better than my parents. My dad would have cut heads." Marco flinches before sighing. "Hugs?"

"I don't think we should…" Star tackles Marco in a hug, which he wants to hug back to. But something gnaws at him, telling him this 'feeling' he has when around Star is wrong. Deciding against this feeling he just hugs back, not wanting to upset Star. They let go and she races toward the couch. Marco walks toward the kitchen and sits down on a stool.

"Hugs always that awkward Marco?" Janna asks, poking at his arm.

"No but it felt…wrong for some reason. I only hugged back to not upset her." Marco sighed with guilt. "Is that wrong?"

"I don't think so? Dude, I need to set up a stand and leave out a cup for relationship advice." Marco snickers and lightly punches her arm.

"Don't be like Lucy from the Peanuts and charged quarters for it." Marco grins. "And I don't want to kick that football."

"Oh, you are dating yourself with those references." She snickers. Marco only folds his arms in response.

"For your knowledge, the Peanuts are timeless." Janna rolls her eyes and opens the fridge. She spots a bowl. "What's wrong?"

"You made frozen nachos?" Marco's eyes grow wide and he takes the bowl from Janna, with a piece of paper falling out. "Oh, right. I made those for Star before she came back from the ball." Janna reads the card and feels anger come over her, crushing it between her fingers.

"Surprised you let her walk all over you like this. You make her food. You let her throw you into danger. And after she broke your heart, you make her food!" Janna talks louder but Marco covers her mouth.

"I…I was a jerk, okay? Let's drop it." He places the bowl of nachos in the microwave and heats them up. "Now they are for everyone."

Janna just sighs and gives a smile toward Marco. "You are too nice sometimes Diaz."

* * *

The trio of Marco, Star and Janna watch some stuff on TV while eating slightly soft nachos. Star is in the middle between Janna and Marco, with everyone getting along. It's as if nothing changed recently, but a red portal reminds the group that no, things changed recently. Marco sighs and gets ready for a fight while Janna intently watches the portal. A handsome demon waltz his way out of it, making Star form a smile.

"Hey Tom." Marco walked up to the demon, folding his arms. "I will make this clear. I don't like you and you don't like me."

"Well, that is true." Tom says sternly, but Janna notices the flames coming out of his fists.

"I will respect you dating my best…my friend, as I know you won't hurt her." Marco grabs his collar and grows a hateful look. **"Right?"**

"Yes. Now let go before I unleash hell on you Diaz." Tom hissed. Marco let go and gave an annoyed glare toward Star.

"I'm heading out. Have fun on your date Star." Marco walked out of the house and slammed the door shut. Janna sighed and walked up to Tom.

"Hey demon dude. My friend has a crush on your girlfriend and she turned him down, so don't mind him." Tom sighs and clams down. "He's cool, so he will warm up to you."

"Surprised Star isn't saying this to me." Tom joked but Janna only had her eyes narrow.

"Yeah, you're right. Going to head out now, so see you two demon spawn later." Janna stops by the front door, turning toward Star. "Hey princess, don't forget your horns."

"Um…okay." Star answers back in confusion. Janna smirks before closing the door. Tom rubs his neck and sighs, knowing there is a lot of tension in the room.

"So Starship, broke some hearts huh?" Tom tried to joke but Star doesn't answer back. "Hey! Let's see a movie together. I wanted to ask you about that. There is this great horror flick that came out and I wanted to use it for torture notes."

Star smirked and grabbed Tom's arm. "Sounds great Hot Head.

* * *

Janna felt today was quite interesting for her, as she never expected to re-connect with her childhood friend Marco Diaz. Seeing him laugh at her teasing and even joining in on her fun surprised her to say the least. The simple fact _he_ invited her to hangout instead of some trick or scheme to push him into doing that stunned her. She ponders if this will continue, even when Marco somehow makes up with Star. Deep in thought, Janna doesn't realize she has been silent for a good five minutes, confusing the heck out of Marco.

"Um…you okay?" Marco pokes her arm, making her flinch. "Good, I thought you turned into a real zombie or something."

"Really now?" She bites him playfully, making Marco yelp. "Ah!"

"I will _not_ turn into a monster you know." Marco rubbed the spot. "Ow…that hurts."

Janna laughs madly but Marco soon grows a smile. She notices his smile and just grins. "So you _like_ my craziness now?"

"….Sorta. Come on, we might be late for the movie." Marco grabs her hand and the two dash to the theater. The come to the ticket booth and look at the movie selection. "So…what do you want to see?"

Janna only folds her arms and smirks. "You are picking it Safe Kid."

"Nah, you pick the movie." Janna raises and eyebrow. "Oh knock it off. I know you would get your choice anyway."

"Clever one you are." She lightly punches Marco's arm, making him chuckle. "I want to see Grey's Romantic Shades." The ticket seller only sighs while handing Marco and Janna the tickets. "Thank you good sir. Me and my friend will enjoy a very age appropriate love story." They walk into the theater but Marco bursts into laughter. "What?"

"Age appropriate? Good one. Can't wait to be scarred for life now." Marco says half-seriously. He looks at corner of the theater and spots some light gun game. "Hey, want to kill some time before the movie starts?" He takes out a few quarters. "Time to fill up that cup."

* * *

Janna smirks and walks with him over to the light-gun game. It's a zombie game but one both of them loved playing when they were growing up. "To think this game holds up years later. Graphics kinda stink though."

"What?" Marco blasts a zombie in the head. "The fact we can see the pixels only adds to the game's charm." One the game's characters makes a cheesy line. "But the voice acting…timeless work."

"You really love your games, huh?" Janna scoffs, making Marco roll his eyes. "But I gotta say, this is fun. By the way, you almost died."

"What?!" Marco aims his plastic gun and blasts the zombie in front of him. "Close one…you should have told me sooner."

"But what's the fun in that?" Janna says while flicking Marco's nose. He blushes slightly and shake his head.

"I will beat your high score for sure." Janna laughs. "Surprised? I knew you played this machine years ago."

"Really now? Seems like I'm not the only stalker in Echo Creek." She winks, but instead of a shiver, Marco just rolls his eyes.

"Marco Diaz never stalks. Know this Janna." Marco says in a mocking sage voice. The two laugh while blasting zombies. After a good half hour they run out of coins and head to the food area. "So…Butter or Kettle Corn?"

"Why not both?" Janna asks bluntly. Marco taps his chin but shrugs. He takes out his wallet and hands the vender 20 bucks. He gets a large bowl of popcorn and two sodas. "Ready for the sex scenes?"

"You know what? I will just close my eyes for most of the movie. You can give me the summary when it's over." Marco slouches his shoulders, plopping in the theater seat. Janna takes her drink and kicks her feet up.

"Watch it!" Shouts a bubbly voice. She stands up and looks surprised. "Marco? Janna? I didn't know you are seeing this movie too."

"Didn't know you were into the kinkey stuff Star." Janna says teasingly. Tom gets up and spots Marco, with the human boy growing increasingly uncomfortable.

"Great…" He mumbles. Marco tries to get up but Janna holds his arm in place.

"Dude, you are _not_ running away. These are the best seats!" Janna shouts loudly. Marco groans and leans back, ignoring the puzzled gaze of Star and the smirking grin of Tom. "Oh demon boy? This is a _great_ movie to learn how to make Star happy."

Marco's eyes grow wide and he turns to Janna in utter shock. Janna has a toothy smile and slips from her soda. "You are something, you know that?" The defeated boy lets the chair comfort him, knowing how the next two hours will last a long time.

* * *

The movie is just about over but to Marco's surprise, he was laughing with Janna the entire time. Poking fun at the wonky writing, the 'erotic' moments and excuses for storytelling; the two had a ball watching the film. Star meanwhile, felt really strange. The movie only confused her, with Tom making a mental note to buy a film reel. To punish his minions of course. After a poor ending the film ends and the four teens walk out of the theater.

"Wow…that was really funny!" Marco shouts with joy, completely surprising Star. She would assume he would be scarred watching something like that.

"The moment where they try to do it looked so forced. Not to mention the wooden acting. Man, I picked a _great_ movie to watch or what?!" Janna asks Star and Tom.

"Um…I didn't get most it to be honest." Star rubbed her neck. "Why would the girl willingly let the man control her like that? I would think she would blast his head off or punch him."

"Star…there are many ways people um…" Marco gives Tom a killer's look, making the demon shut up on the spot. "Never mind Starship. Nothing." Marco turns toward the games and smirks. Janna notices and guides the group over to the various games. "This place has Zombie Blaster 64?!"

"Wait…you _like_ that game Tom?" Marco asks in shock.

"Duh. Any demon worth his salts _played_ all the zombie and horror games. Gives us inspiration for things you know?" The demon cracks his fingers. "Diaz, I challenge you to a dual."

Marco would normally push Tom away, but he's in good spirits tonight. "You're on Hellboy." He races toward the blue gun and places a coin in the machine. Tom darts over to the red gun, and the two begin blasting zombies. Janna and Star study the two boys, being amazed at how aggressive they are. It's as if, they are having _fun_ spending time together. Star feels a bit of hope seeing this, wondering if Tom can truly be friends with Marco.

"Girl, I need to use the ladies room. Follow me." Janna tells Star, with the princess following her.

* * *

They get inside and Janna leans on the wall. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Um…honestly horrible Janna." Star admits. "I feel like I lost my best friend. I saw you and Marco play that arcade game earlier. How you talked with him in class. Maybe you're right…I'm getting replaced."

"Star." Janna looks at her friend seriously. "Does that even matter?"

"Of course it does!" Star shouts defensively. "I would be lost without Marco…"

"Then why didn't you say that to him? Or rather, why did you lock lips with demon boy?" Star looks away, rubbing her arm. "Look, I'm not doing anything with Marco, okay? I know that's what you are thinking."

"No I'm…"

"Yes, you are thinking we might go out at some point." Janna sighs somberly. "I know he cares about you still. He is just having fun with me as…well, we are reconnecting again. But know this. Once he gives you a chance, opens up to you about his feelings or fully trusts you again? Don't ruin it."

"Sounds like good advice. Thanks girl." Star and Janna hug for a few moments. They let go and Star smiles. "Should we check on the boys and hope they aren't killing each other?"

"I personally want to see this theater house burn to flames but that sounds good too." Star and Janna laugh fondly.

* * *

Marco and Tom are now playing a racing game, focuses on the digital road in front of them. "Hey Diaz…you cool?"

"Um…why do you ask?" Marco slams on the gas pedal and speeds past Tom. "Ah! Going to win."

"Really now?" Tom activates a turbo boost and dashes past Marco. "But seriously, I don't hate you."

"I don't hate you either Tom." Marco drifts around the corner. "Just…I don't know. Sad? Annoyed? Angry with myself?"

"I get you." Tom jumps off a ramp and crashes on top of a car, getting boost energy. "Wow, this game is violent."

"That's Burnout for you." Tom and Marco snicker. "But can I still be friends with Star? You know, considering you are dating her and everything?"

Tom let's his car crash into a wall and he gives Marco a shocked expression. "You serious now?"

"Okay I get the message man; I just wanted to..." He puts his hand up.

"Is that why you were so pissed at Star today?" Tom asks seriously. "She told me how you were avoiding her and trying to not get hurt."

"…That is part of reason." Marco admits. "But I don't think we should be friends. I _do_ like her. That might make things…strange. You know..."

Tom rubs his chin and nods. "Yeah, I get your point. But why don't you move on?" Marco grows a bitter expression. "I'm only saying this to make you feel better. Seriously, if you keep feeling hurt, you will never want to see her again."

"I'm honestly thinking that might be for the best." Marco sighs while Tom honestly looks sad. The demon completely gets what Marco is feeling, as he was kicked out of Star's life for a while after their break up. He doesn't want Marco to feel the same way.

"Look Diaz. You can be Star's friend. Hell, be her best friend for all I care." Tom grows an honest smile. "But I think you got a new best friend."

"You mean Janna?" Marco says with sheepish smile. "I don't know, today we got really close and it felt great hanging out with her."

"You have her and I have Star." Tom shrugs. "Seems fine with me. What about you?" Marco ponders Tom's thought seriously…but he makes a lot of sense to the boy. Janna connected really well with him, today proved this to Marco. While he wants to be Star's best friend again, he doesn't trust himself to be that close with her. Looking up at Tom, he holds out his hand.

"Tom, my name is Marco Diaz of Earth. I love video games, Love Handle, and have a 'bad boy' side I normally don't let out often." Tom looks at Marco's hand but realizes what he's doing. The demon grins, grabbing it firmly.

"I'm Tomas Lucitor, Prince of the Underworld. I love video games, torturing poor souls, listening to Love Handel and scarring the crap out of people." Marco shakes his hand and the two grin madly. Now, they formed a friendship, one of mutual understanding.

* * *

Star and Janna meet up with the boy's, surprised to see the two laughing at something. "Marco?"

"Hey Star!" Marco shouts joyfully. "Guess who made a new friend tonight?"

"Um, you did?" Star asks in confusion. Marco just shoots a chocky grin, making the princess a bit confused.

"Starship, you would be surprised about Diaz's gaming skills." Tom throws his arm around Marco's shoulder. "The kid can blast ten zombies at once!"

"Not really Tom I…" He elbowed Marco, implying to be quiet. "What he said." Star only giggled in response. "Look Star, sorry for being a jerk." He ponders if this is a good idea but now is a better time than any. "Friendship hug?"

Star says nothing but tackles her best friend in a warm hug. Marco hugs her back tightly, with that gnawing feeling completely gone. He lets go and looks back at Tom. The demon only smirks while Janna smiles. The princess feels a wave of relief knowing that her friendship with Marco can continue, even if he is a bit more distant.


	3. Realizations

 

Being a demon from the underworld and son of Satan himself, Tom is no stranger to contracts or rules. Hell, he loves reading them, finding the holes within them. But reading the one right before him has the demon feeling a mixture of emotions. Confusion being the main one but shock and pity come to mind as well. "So let me get this straight Marco…you made a list of things to ensure I don't kill you?"

Marco shrugs his shoulders, sitting on a chair while Tom and Star are relaxed on the couch. "I never had a friend dating someone before, so want to make sure I don't do anything wrong." He turns to Star, who is more annoyed than anything. "Don't look at me like that."

"Sure, you are such unease around me that a _list_ is needed." Star rubs her forehead. "Just…why?"

"Because I don't want Tom to _kill_ me for touching you or something." Tom just sighs. "You think the list is stupid too?"

"What?" Tom is a bit surprised at the human's tone but shakes it off. "No. Gotta say, this is a well written contract. You _need_ to help me write some for the underworld. Very specific, great handwriting and it's even in bullet-point form." The demon passes the list to his girlfriend, which she studies intently.

_Friendship List for Marco & Star_

_Approved by Tom_

_1) Can hold hands when chased by monsters or danger_

_2) Can have 'Friendship Hugs' if Star indicates them_

_3) Can shake hands_

The list is longer but Star crumbles it into a ball, throwing it at the TV. "Hey! I spent time on that…" Marco mumbles. The princess just shoots a sour look at Marco. She is completely baffled that Marco would be so worried about doing things with her.

"Look, just because I'm dating Tom, doesn't mean anything changed Marco." The earth boy only gives a serious look as a response. "Can't things be the same?"

"I don't want to be burned to ash, so no." Marco bluntly comments. He turns toward Tom. "I made a copy of the list." He passes it to Tom. "Is this okay?"

Tom knows Marco won't budge so he just sighs. "Yeah, it's fine. But _you_ are going to help me look over contracts I have in drafting."

"Sounds fine with me." Marco shrugs. Tom shakes his hand before going into a portal. Star feels somber however, knowing that Marco still is worried. Marco notices his friend's worried expression and sits next to her, the first time since the Blood Moon Ball. "Look, I want things to be normal again too. But they…can't. I am sorry for being a bit nuts to be frank, but I just want to be careful. I _do_ like you still and it still feels weird seeing you with Tom. Just want to be sure he is okay with us hanging out."

Star only looks irritated at this point. "Tom doesn't _own_ me Marco. I can do what I want. Stop acting all paranoid." She gets up and walks into the kitchen, making Marco sigh and lean back in the couch.

"I have a right to be worried." Marco says to aloud. He notices his phone buzz and takes it out. A smirk forms on his face, spotting Janna's image pop up. Tapping it, he begins texting her.

* * *

_Karate Warrior: Hello Troublemaker_

_Witch: Sup. Show Star that list you made?_

_Karate Warrior: Yeah, she got annoyed_

_Witch: Pift_

_Karate Warrior: Give me a break! I figured it would be smart…_

_Witch: Star is a rebel you know, does what she wants_

_Karate Warrior: But she is dating a DEMON prince. We are cool now but better safe than sorry_

_Witch: Keep being my safe kid Marco…_

_Karate Warrior: So still up for hanging out near the skate park today?_

_Witch: Sure, see you later Safe Kid._

_Karate Warrior: You to Troublemaker_

* * *

Putting his phone down, he heads into the kitchen. Star is munching on some food while Marco leans on a wall. "Hanging out with Janna this afternoon, but have a lot of free time. Need help with anything?"

Star grows a smile, finally having some alone time with Marco. "Sure bestie." She punches his arm, but the word 'best friend' has Marco at unease. "I wanted to work on some spells, as my wand has been acting wonky lately."

"Really?" Marco asks in utter confusion but internally, he feels bad. His own personal issues have clouded his mind, that he never noticed Star having problems with her magic. "Jeez…sorry I didn't notice before Star. Been wrapped up in my own junk." He shoves his hands inside hoodie pockets. "Wait a minute…is that why the wand glowed green the other day?"

"Green?" Star bites her wand, trying to think about something. "I never saw green before."

"Oh…okay." Marco shrugs. "Well I'm ready to start helping when you are." Star shouts with joy and drags Marco upstairs. She tosses him in her room, but this makes Marco feel odd. "…Want to work on magic in the backyard? Feels weird being in your room." Star sighs and folds her arms.

"I _invited_ you in here. Don't worry about silly things like that." Star says with joy, but Marco doesn't look convinced. The princess just feels bad at this point, sighing in defeat. "Okay, we can leave and…"

"You said it was okay, right?" She nods. "Then we work on magic in here." Star smiles and takes out her wand, opening the spell book. A blue man pops out, blinking his eyes slightly.

* * *

"Hey kids…" He looks between Star and Marco. "Oh boy, this is bad." Glossaryck grabs Marco and begins pulling him aside. "Princess, need to talk with the kid for a moment. Work on this page in the meantime." Star just shrugged, never really understanding her mentor's methods. Marco gives Glossaryck a look and folds his arms, both being in the hallway now. "What did you do kid?"

"What did _I_ do?" Marco hissed. "I didn't do anything."

"Really now? I felt her magic and it's being jumbled up. You know…dark magic and what not." The blue man sighed. "Reminds me of Eclipsa and that is never good."

"Well, sorry she broke my heart Glossaryck…" Marco says bitterly, making the blue man laugh. "Glad you're laughing."

"Kid, I see all the timelines and futures. Things will be okay in the end." He says cryptically. "But that blood moon. Butterflies aren't supposed to take part in rituals like that."

"Wait…" Marco grows concerned. "She is in _danger_ from being hit by that moon?"

"Nope." Marco felt fear seep away slightly. "Not yet anyway." But the fear crawled back up his spine.

"You aren't making me feel better." The boy says in defeat. "So what? It's my fault?"

"Yes." Glossaryck makes a pudding cup appear in his hands. "You should have pushed her away from Tom. Now she will be stuck to him like glue forever." Marco grows increasingly angry and marches off. "Aren't you helping Star train with magic? Thought you was her best friend or something."

"Let _Tom_ help her. You know, she is going to be stuck to him like glue." He stomps down the stairs and leaves the house. Glossaryck sighs and warps back inside Star's room.

"Princess, kinda ticked off your boyfriend." Star's face grows red.

"What?! Marco isn't my boyfriend. He is my friend…I think he is still." Star says unsurely. "But what did you say? Heard stomping out the door."

"Told him some stuff and he got mad." Glossaryck shrugged his shoulders, but Star moans in frustration. "This isn't good princess."

"Tell me about it." Star pushes the blue man back. "But _whatever_. Help me master these spells or I will not give you pudding for a week." Glossaryck instantly shuts up and bows in command.

* * *

Marco doesn't walk very far from his house, feeling bitter about Glossaryck's comments. "Star is in danger? Or is he just egging me on?" The boy throws his hood up and leans back on a bench. "We were just trying to connect and be friends again…but how can I when I know Tom might hurt her? Tom is really cool too…" Looking up, Marco spots birds flying and the clear blue sky pushing puffy white clouds. "Heh. My life is turning upside down but the world keeps on spinning."

Jackie notices Marco sitting alone on the bench and frowns. Skating up to the hooded boy, she sits down next to him. "Hey dude. Down in the dumps again?"

"Oh?" Marco turns to his side, spotting Jackie. He forms a small smile and tilts his head up. "Hey Jackie. Just found out from an annoying blue man that Star might be in danger and I can do nothing to help."

The skater girl rubs her blue helmet before shrugging her arms. Likely is thinking about Star's magical mentor. "Still sour over Star not liking you back?"

"Way to lay it heavy Jackie." Marco darkly chuckles. "It's fine."

"Not for you it isn't." Jackie says in annoyance. "Why don't you hang out with me for a little while?" In the past, Marco would leap and dash for a chance to hang out with _the_ Jackie Lyn Thomas but now? He really doesn't care either way.

"I honestly an honored you asked." Marco forms a fond smile before dropping it. "But I'm fine. Promised Star to help her train with magic and will be back home soon. Just…needed some air is all." Jackie only pats Marco's back and smiles. "We could hang out some other time though."

"Sounds good dude." She lands on her board and skates away, making Marco smile. But Jackie is thinking bitter thoughts about her princess friend. Knowing Marco is a kind person at heart, she feels angry that it's being tested being Star's friend. But the skater knows the two will work things out at some point, so she keeps her personal thoughts to herself. Marco gets up off the bench and walks back to his house, ready to face Star again.

* * *

Marco walks back home after having a pep-talk with Jackie…something that still surprises the boy but he appreciates. Opening the door to his house, he feels frantic running and loud shouting. "Oh no…" He opens the door and to his complete surprise, spots River Johnson-Butterfly sitting on his couch next to an overjoyed Star.

"Marco! Dad came to visit." Marco just stares at the joyful man, still donning his kingly attire. He slowly walks up to him, feeling nervous about upsetting him. River studies Marco and feels something different about the boy. When he first came to see him, he was always around Star and helping her whenever she needs it. He also recalls his daughter vividly describing various feats he accomplished to help her in combat. But watching the young man before him, he feels sadness and longing dwelling inside.

"Marco my boy!" River shouts joyful, earning no friendly reaction from Marco. He just forces on a smile and waves, pulling up a chair and sitting across from him. "Why aren't you sitting on the couch next to my daughter? Are the seats dirty?"

Marco chuckles slightly, as he always cleans up the house. "No sir. It's just that I am keeping my distance. See, she is dating someone now and…I will be blunt with you sir, I deeply care about your daughter. So, I feel…well, hurt. But don't want to ruin or upset anyone. Just being careful is all."

Star sighs but Rivers internal reaction is in complete shock. He honestly thought his daughter liked the Earth boy, with how fondly she speaks of him. Guess he was wrongly jumping to conclusions. "It's okay Marco. I was just talking to my pumpkin about the upcoming Butterfly family gathering. We have piles of corn! CORN!" He shouts like a mad man, earning a laugh out of Star and Marco. "But yes, we have lovely time. I would like you to join Star."

"Um…" Marco rubs his neck, not feeling okay to answer this question. "Star, did you ask Tom about this event?"

"MARCO!" Star shouts, visibly angry. Again, Marco is acting like some weird person to her. Just because she is dating someone, doesn't mean he has to leave her life…so she tells herself. "Why are you acting like this? You can spend time with me during family and royal events. What is with you?" Unknowing to Star, is River giving Marco a complete look of understanding as if he was in the boy's position at some point in his life.

"The boy feels like he's beneath us dear." River says bluntly, making Marco's eyes grow wide before nodding in agreement with the kind man. Star doesn't say anything, but fully realizes what her father stated. "You are welcome to come as a guest Marco. If not for Star, come for me." He walks up and places a warm hand on the boy's shoulders. "I want to have friendly tussle with you."

"Okay sir." Marco answered, growing a faint smile. River shoots a smile back and sits back down next to Star. "Now I want to see what this 'television' device offers. Maybe we can make it work on Mewni…"

"I will help Dad." Star turns the TV on with the remote, turning to the static channel. "This is my favorite." Before long, both Star and River lock their vision on the TV, with eyes morphing into various shapes.

"Seems Star takes after her dad more." He chuckled to himself before walking up to his room.

* * *

Opening the door, he spots another surprise, Tom sitting on his bed. "Um…I didn't do anything, so I don't know why you're here Tom."

"I can't come in to say hello to a friend?" Marco ponders the question…guess Tom _is_ a friend to him now. He forms a faint smile and folds his arms. "I overheard about that family gathering thing. You should go to it."

"Dude, you should go." Marco answers, sitting next to Tom. "Bonding with her dad might earn you 'future son' points or something."

"Not a bad plan Marco." Both chuckle before turning quiet. "But dude, why are you walking on egg shells? She is…was your best friend."

He sighs and leans on his arm. "Tom…I like her. A lot. To the point where I would give my life to defend her." Tom looks surprised, but shakes his head. "This is getting really difficult…does she _not_ understand I'm hurt still?" Marco turns to Tom, with the human having some tears in his eyes and his fists clenched tight. "I get she's happy with you and everything. I'm glad you are better. Hell, I _want_ you two to be a thing and for it all to work out. Just…I feel hurt and angry. Why can't she understand?"

Tom stays silent, pondering Marco's thoughts. Closing his eyes, he thinks about when Star rejected him for his anger problems and how horrible he felt after that. Being pushed into anger management and self-control programs, he became a new man. Opening his eyes, he hugs Marco. "It's okay. It will be okay Marco."

Marco hugs his demon friend back, letting some tears come down. "Thank you. I'm sorry for talking about things like this to you but…I want to be honest."

"I know." He pats Marco's back and the two let go. "Listen, I got a new video game called 'Demon Adventure 2: Battle' and I would like to play some matches with you in it. How about we hang out and play that together tomorrow?"

"You know what? That sounds awesome." Marco forms a beaming smile and holds out his fist. Tom pounds it and he gets up. "Don't forget about those document things. I will take a look at them."

"Thanks Marco. Don't let Starship get to you. She is a bit thick in the head but she will understand eventually." He salutes before heading inside the portal. Marco feels content, though still somber. The fact Tom gets his situation better than his supposed best friend, says a lot to Marco.

"Maybe…I just let myself feel fooled. I mean, just because I get along with someone well, doesn't make them my best friend." He stands up, trying to come to a realization. "I want to be Star's friend, but I will not let myself be hurt anymore. If that means pushing myself away from her, so be it." Coming to this decision, he throws on a black coat over his hoodie. Walking downstairs, he spots Star talking with River in the kitchen.

"Hey guys." Marco waves, earning a smile from River. "I'm going to head out for a few hours, so don't burn the house down." He stops in front of Star. "Um…sorry for making things awkward. Just trying to figure things out." Putting out his hand, Star takes it and shakes. "See you later friend." The boy leaves the house, leaving Star confused.

"Pumpkin." River says as he puts a hand on her shoulder. "A man sometimes needs space from loved ones to realize truths. Marco is at that point, so give him time." Star nods, appreciating the advice from her father.

* * *

Walking around Echo Creek, Marco takes out his cell phone and dials a number.

" _You there Janna? I can meet you at the park."_

" _Hey Marco. Sound down, did the princess break your heart again?"_

" _Funny…but no. I came to a realization that I want to talk with you about later."_

" _Wow, uh. Okay. Good for you Marco."_

" _Thanks. And sorry I stopped being a good friend all those years ago. Finding out who is my real friend or not is difficult but I found some answers today."_

" _You think…yeah, we will talk about things. See you at the park Safe Kid."_

" _You too Troublemaker."_

Marco hangs up the phone and picks up the pace, meeting up with what he now considers his true best friend. Meanwhile, Janna drops the phone out of her hands in shock. She knew Star crossed the line after the whole ball but for Marco to completely stop being her 'best friend'? Something must have happened. Clenching her fists, she tries to calm down. Looking at a nearby wall, she picture the grinning face of the princess.

"You…" Janna balls her fists tighter and punches the figment of Star. "Don't hurt my Ma…best friend." She takes a deep breath and throws on a leather jacket, heading to the skate park. Along the way she takes out her phone and dials it her skater friend.

" _Hello? Hey girl, how are you doing?"_

" _Meet me at the skate park. We are going to talk with Marco about something."_

" _I think we should leave his issues with Star to himself."_

" _He more or less told me she isn't his best friend anymore."_

"…"

" _You there Jackie?"_

" _Y-Yeah. I'm here. Wow. I…I will be there soon."_

Janna hangs up the phone and continues her walk, meeting with her best friend to make sure he is okay.

* * *

Marco is sitting down on a bench, watching people have fun skating. He makes a mental note to buy one for himself in the future. Looking up at the sky, he takes a deep breath and relaxes his nerves. Accepting Star was never his best friend…was oddly easy. Sure, he still cares about her and his feelings didn't go away. Unfortunately for him anyway. But he refuses to let his feelings bother him anymore. His attention drifts to a seashell waring skater and a leather jacket wearing girl. "Hey guys. I don't have a board, so not sure if I can skate."

Janna laughs. "Got ya covered." She tosses a helmet and black board to Marco. "I wanted to give you my pink board but…you had a bad enough day as is."

"You shouldn't have." Marco says sarcastically, making Janna laugh. "But thanks." He gets up to look at Jackie. "Thanks for the talk earlier. After speaking to Tom of all people after our chat, I feel like a cinderblock was tossed off my back."

"TOM talked with you?" Janna says in shock, which Marco nodded to. "St…Her Boyfriend?"

"Tom is a cool guy. Don't you remember? She broke up with him at first. So…he honestly felt how I do currently." Marco shakes his head. "But enough about drama stuff. Let's have fun skating!" The hoodie clad boy kicked his board to the ground and began skating. Janna and Jackie just sit down, taking what he just said however.

"Tom of all people got through to Marco?" Janna questions. "Sounds fishy."

"I think it's kinda sad to be honest." Jackie folds her arms and narrows her eyes. "Surprised the princess doesn't get her friend."

"Marco mentioned how she isn't his best friend anymore." Janna sighs and leans back on the bench. "Don't know if Star realizes what she just lost."

"Well? Now you can have him." Jackie says with a grin, making Janna blush. "Come on girl, I know you like him."

"So what? I'm not going to hurt him like _she_ did." Janna folds her arms and pouts. "Besides, I'm happy to have my friend back. Not pushing it."

Jackie just smirks and pats her friends back. "Hey, you aren't pushing anything. Happy for you two."

"Thanks." Janna punches Jackie's arm lightly. "Going to make sure my Mar…I mean my friend doesn't crash into anything." Janna darts away, making Jackie smile madly. Leaning back, she watches Janna and Marco skate around the park, laughing and having fun.

"This is nice…honestly nice."

* * *

After spending some time with Janna and Jackie at the skate park, Marco feels like a new man. Deciding to conceal his feelings about Star and fully move on, he will try to repair and form a new friendship with the magical princess. Marco is at his front door and is greeted to Star sitting on the couch, watching the ceiling.

"Hey Princess." Star's vision darts toward Marco, noticing a lot of differences in the boy. He has a confident posture, a wide smile on his face and his eyes burning with fire. For some reason, Star feels warm watching her friend but shakes the thought away. "Sorry if I was out long." Marco throws his jacket over a coat rack. "Want me to make you some nachos?"

"Sounds great!" Star says with joy. "Sooo...my dad said you can join me for that event thing. If you still want to go that is."

"I'm sure Tom won't mind. It's a family thing and we are just friends. It would be like you inviting Starfan or Janna with you toward the event. Besides, I think I'm going as your Dad's guest anyway." Star is confused by the comment, something Marco notices. "Um…did I say something wrong?"

"No…nothing." The princess takes in Marco's words and smiles. She is happy he is trying to get better. "Anyway, I think you will love Flag Day."

"So we what? Collect flags?" Marco asks rhetorically, as he puts cheese and toppings over toasted nachos. "Oh, so like King of the Hill. Sounds tame compared to what you normally put me through."

"Put you through?" Star asks questioningly. Marco sighs and puts the bowl down.

"You _do_ put me through a lot of danger, but I don't mind much. I don't think we are a 'team' per-say anymore but I'm your friend. Hey, as battle buddies, we are willing to die for one another." Marco winks as he says this and ponders if this is pushing it. Star not saying anything tells the human this was okay to do. "Anyway, the food is ready and you pick the movie."

"I was thinking we could visit Quest Buy after the movie." Marco scratches his neck. "What?"

"But you _have_ a wand charger. Heck, I could give the one you gave me back. Though it would make cleaning a bit more annoying." Marco mumbles. Star giggles and the boy smiles, seeing his friend happy again.

"I just wanted to use…THIS!" Star takes out an evil-looking green card, having a bright red eye in the center. "To make up for things, I got you a gift card that can get you ANYTHING in the world." Marco thinks this is funny, because the one thing he truly wants he can never have. Regardless, he feels joyful Star got him a gift.

"Well, now I feel like a jerk." Marco shrugs his shoulders. "I didn't get you anything."

"That's fine." She leans close to his face. "You being here is what matters the most." Instead of being charmed, Marco feels angry.

"D-Don't do that again." Marco said calmly, with his face growing harsh. Star backed away frowning, feeling ashamed forgetting about Marco's feelings. "A-Anyway, lets watch that movie and I will pack up stuff for our adventure to Quest Buy."

"Sounds good Marco…" Star responds, watching Marco set up the nacho bowl and TV. The princess wonders how her friend really feels about everything, as he is trying to be friendlier after recent events. Star clenches her fists, feeling angry with herself. "I will be a good friend Marco. Just you watch." She lightly slaps her checks and jumps next to Marco on the couch.

"Nice landing." Marco said with a smirk, earning a punch from Star. The friends watch an action/comedy. It's like old times for Marco, as if recent events never happened. But the human boy knows this won't last, with his parent's words echoing in his mind.

_They never stay forever…_

But that is fine for Marco, as he has friends like Janna who will stay with him through thick and thin. The thought makes Marco grow a dumb smile, laying back in the couch. Star looks at Marco, wondering what he's thinking. Normally, she could read him like a book and vice versa. But after the Blood Moon Ball, her connection with Marco got severed completely. This bothered the princess, in addition to her friend's recently distant nature. She's hopeful the adventure at Quest Buy will kickstart their friendship again.

* * *

Marco is in the kitchen, a few hours later after watching a movie or two with Star. Packing up some waters and snacks, he gets a small backpack ready. As he begins walking up the stairs to Star's room, he hears his phone ring.

_"Hello?"_

_"Sup Safe Kid."_

_"Hey Troublemaker! Thanks for the skating today. You…didn't save the video of my wipeout, did you?"_

"… _Maybe"_

_"(Sigh) Well, could make for a funny video at least. I'm hanging out with Star for a few hours, so will call you later."_

_"Don't let the heartbreaker get to you. I will start charging for romance advice."_

_"Got my quarter's ready Lucy. See you later."_

Marco hangs up but to his surprise, spots Star watching him. "Um…I was just talking to a friend. Everything okay?" Star says nothing but leaps on the banners, sliding down. The boy panics as Star lands in his arms.

"Ready for adventure?!" Marco says nothing, trying to remain calm. He frantically removes his hands off Star, shoving them violently in his pockets.

"I-I'm ready." Marco mumbles, throwing up his hood to prevent Star seeing his red face. Part of him is angry she did that, fully knowing his feelings. But another part was overjoyed… Trying to push down his feelings like the evil fire they are to the boy, he lets Star make the portal and walks behind her.

* * *

After a familiar tingling sensation passes, the duo finds themselves inside Quest Buy. The store is filled with everything…mostly. It even sell creatures, something that even since his last visit, disturbed Marco. "So…where should we look first?" The boy asks honestly. This place is so big, he isn't even _sure_ where to look first.

"It's _your_ gift. Take your time and we can look around." Marco studies Star's expression; happy, bubbly and bright. Before he can let the image burn into his brain, he shakes it off.

"S-Sounds good. How about we head that way? Okay, sounds great!" Marco says in one breath, walking ahead, leaving Star a bit confused. Marco mentally hits himself, letting his nerves bother him. 'It's just Star…why do you feel so damn nervous? It's like Jackie all over again…' Marco curses in his mind. Star notices Marco's slouched posture and sighs somberly; her plan isn't working.

"I know a great spot in the store. Has all kinds of cool stuffs!" Marco turns around, spotting Star hold out her wand. "Want a wand for yourself?"

"Um…no." Marco answers bluntly, making Star pout. "With my current emotional state, lack of experience and jumbled mind, I would be a danger to you _and_ Echo Creek." He forms a smile. "Thanks for the thought though."

"Thinking back to Lobster Claws?" Star questions. Marco taps his chin but shrugs. He remembered how torn the creature was after touching Star's wand, as if light and darkness were fighting to take over.

"I guess so…wait a minute." Marco remembers something, making him for a mad grin. "Does this place sell jewelry?"

"Duh, of course it does." Star says matter-of-factly. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason, but I want to visit that place first." Star sees the gears turning in Marco's brain and smiles. She wants to tease him about Janna, but after everything, Star decides to keep the comment to herself.

"Okay! Follow your guide to Quest Buy! No tips or anything." Star jokes, making Marco roll his eyes.

"Lead the way Queen." Marco snickers, making Star giggle as the she guides Marco through the store. The duo come across all kinds of strange objects and devices; monster heads/parts, weapons and even candy. Star stops at the candy isle, with Marco trying to pull her away. She has her right hand free and he's tempted to grab it. Just to pull her away of course, nothing else. Marco sighs internally and tugs at her arm instead.

"I want that talking candy bear Marco. Just gotta reach it… Can you help me up?" Star asks pleadingly.

'This is part of the adventure Diaz.' The flustered boy tells himself. "Okay Star, be careful." He grabs her waist and she finally grabs the talking bear. For five full seconds, Marco felt time pause around him and preyed Star didn't see his tomato-colored face. He lets her down and she looks at the talking candy bear like prey.

"You are _mine_ little thing." She zaps it with her wand and traps it in a cube. "Thanks for the help!"

"N-No problem." Marco stutters. Star catches his nervousness and places her hand on his shoulder. He flinches and jumps like a scared cat. "Sorry…"

"It's okay." Star says softly, but this makes the boy even more flustered. "Come on, let's get to that isle."

* * *

The princess walks ahead but feels guilty that Marco is such a mess. Marco meanwhile is cursing at himself internally, letting his flustered emotions ruin what would normally be a fun time between himself and Star. What changed to make things so weird?! Marco fully knows _what_ but he hates that is the case. Taking a deep breath, the boy catches up to the princess, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"So…we there yet?" Marco tries to say causally, making Star snicker. "I take it that's a resounding 'no'. I don't mind."

"What will make you feel calmer Marco?" Star asks seriously. "I hate that I'm making you feel so nervous."

"Honestly, it feels like I'm talking to Jackie for the first time." Marco says honestly, making Star freeze in place. "What? I'm telling the truth here. I _hate_ feeling this weird around you." Marco clenches his fists and punches a nearby wall. **"** _ **Why am I such a loser?!**_ **"**

"Marco…" Star says softly. The princess doesn't know what to say next, so she speaks from the heart. "You aren't a loser Marco. You are my best friend and I feel horrible I hurt you." Marco turns around, trying to keep his beating heart in place. "My heart made its choice and you are being a real sport about being fair. Being nice with Tom, trying hard to put up a happy face, but I know…you feel horrible. Don't know what I can do to repair our friendship, but I will try."

"I'm trying too Star." Marco says honestly, walking closer with shaky legs. "My feelings are like an evil, trying to consume me. I won't let it, as I want to be your friend first and foremost. So…I will keep fighting my annoying heart." He holds out his hand, sweating from nervousness. "Um…this is where you shake it. I don't know how long I can keep it from shaking to be honest."

Star smiles and shake his hand firmly. "I honestly had a lot of comebacks and jokes this entire time but I didn't say anything."

"Really now?" Marco snickers. "Seems Janna is rubbing off on you."

Star just laughs, with Marco soon joining her. "Come on, let's get your thing." The duo head to the jewelry isle after a few minutes of walking and talking. Marco still feels like his skin is on fire just being near Star but his mind is a bit more at ease. Star feels happy, as she is going to work with Marco through things.

* * *

"Mmm…" Marco looks across the racks, trying to find something that screams 'Janna'. Spider Necklace would be in poor taste, as Star wears one. He spots bat earrings but he never saw her wear something like that before. But one thing makes him stop in place. Racing towards the pedestal holding it, something finally catches Marco's eye. It's black moon necklace supported by a dark purple chain. "Perfect." Marco grabs it and shows it to Star. "I'm ready."

Star studies it and feels conflicted. It looks amazing to Star…but she knows it's for someone else. Why does that fact bother her? She isn't sure but feels happy for Marco, who has the brightest smile she's ever seen. "Want to race to the check-out isle?"

Marco cracks his fingers and gets into running position. "You're on princess. No magic."

"I 'promise' buddy." Star says mockingly. The duo race across the store, treating the place like some fast-pace platforming game. Jumping across carts, sliding under objects and running on the walls; Marco and Star have a heated race.

* * *

"That was fun!" Star jumps out of a portal, landing in the Diaz Front Porch. Marco walks out, holding his gift for Janna. He feels something watching them however. Star notices this feeling too, taking out her wand and tightly holding it. "Trouble?"

"With my state of mind, no one better mess with me." Marco says coldly. Soon, they spot a green portal open up.

"Star Butterfly and Karate Boy!" Ludo shouted, with his monster allies slowly walking out the portal. "Give me the wand!" Marco feels rage build up inside him and just smirks. Star feels a dark aura surrounding Marco and backs off.

"Hello little bird dude. Guess what? I been through _**a lot**_ the past few days. Seeing you and your friends? Well." Marco cracks his knuckles. "I have a _**wonderful**_ way to vent some stress. Word of warning right now. Leave or face my fists."

The monsters just laugh but Star knows when Marco is serious. It reminds her of when Monster Arm was around, making her shiver. She holds on to her wand and remembers the spell to seal the creature in case it comes out. Marco looks around and sighs. He leaps in the air and punches Ludo in the face, sending him flying. The bird is surprised and grows angry.

"HEY! Normally we hit you _first_ before you fight. That's cheating." Ludo complained.

"Cheating?" Star and Marco say in unison.

"You never fight fair Ludo." Star comments, which Marco nods in agreement. Ludo threw a tantrum and pointed his staff toward the two. Star blasted creatures with various spells, including her famous Narwhal Blast. Marco though, he is silent and grins as he lands blow after blow. His anger, pain and concealed sadness all got vented out through this fight. The boy has never felt so alive.

The monsters soon crawl toward Ludo, moaning in pain. "You are all _losers_! Why can't you defeat the princess and her boyfriend…" Marco's mind snaps hearing this, clenching his fists. Stomping like a wild beast, he violently grabs Ludo and slams him against a cactus. "What are you doing?!"

"Shut up." Marco said softly. "Shut Up. Shut Up. SHUT UP. SHUT UP!  **SHUT UP!** " The boy screams louder and louder, making the monster feel horrified. Soon Marco drops Ludo, making the monster cower in fear. "Leave now please."

"You heard Karate Boy, we are _leaving_ minions!" Ludo and his army dashed to the portal…except one. Buff Frog watched Marco, noticing his teary eyes and bleeding fists. Glancing back and forth between the boy and the princess, he pieced together something.

"Sorry Earth Boy. Pain goes away slowly. Good fight though." He leaps in the portal and Marco collapses on the floor. Tears start falling down his face and he finally let's his pent up emotions get unleashed. Star just watches, unsure on what she should do. Like before, she lets her heart guide her. Sitting next to Marco, she hugs him tightly, letting the boy sob on to her blue dress.

The two sat still for a while, letting emotions wash away. To Star's surprise, she begins crying too. But she doesn't know where the tears come from. She tightly holds Marco, letting her sadness complement his own.


	4. The Moons

What was only a few minutes felt like hours to Star and Marco. Both were holding each other like they would vanish in thin air, crying out suppressed emotions. Marco was unleashing his inner sadness, clearly, but the princess wasn't sure _why_ she was so sad. Sure, Star thought her lack of tact and respect for Marco's emotions was the root cause. But something else gnawed at her mind, as it was telling her something. The only thing she was focusing on was helping her broken friend functioning again.

"Marco…you feel better?" Star asks softly. Marco still is holding on tight, sniffling slightly. "We can stay like this for as long as you need."

The boy wanted this, he did _badly_ to just…wrap his arms around the one he loves do dearly. But he had an honest mind, so he told the truth. "I…I want to stay like this. But I know I cannot." He let's go and wipes his tears away. "Thank you for helping me Star." He helps her up but is shocked to see tear stains on her heart marks. "You…you cried too? I didn't mean to scare you like that. I…I…I felt intense anger. Rage. Frustration. Bitter and dark emotions that…I _had_ get out somehow." He looks at the front yard. "Guess Ludo's minions were my release I suppose." Marco rubs his neck. "Did I hurt the monsters too badly?"

Star is shocked despite feeling dazed from sadness. Marco, despite unleashing his inner rage, still felt bad for the monsters. "They got beat up bad. Never saw you fight like that honestly."

"Man…going to say sorry to Ludo when he shows his face again." Marco darkly chuckles.

"Um…I don't think that will happen for a while Marco." Star sheepishly laughs. "You _really_ scared him. Like, to a point where he was crawling toward the portal."

"Damn. Remind me to get angry like that again when we fight a real threat." Silence lingered in the air for a few moments before both teens burst into pure laughter. Star wiped away a tear of joy while Marco was holding his gut. Once they stopped laughing he looked down at his knuckles, covered with red marks. "Oh boy. Better clean myself up. Don't want to get my hands infected."

* * *

Star follows Marco inside to while he walks to the bathroom. Staring at the mirror, he studies his face. Despite his brown mole sticking out, his brown eyes looked lifeless, as if the fire burned out within his soul. Scruff marks covered his cheeks and holding up his hands, he feels such regret. "Star saw me like… _a monster_." The boy leans on the counter, looking into the sink. "Why did I let my emotions get so wild like that? I'm normally the calm one." He looks up at the mirror, faintly seeing an image of Star in her Blood Moon Ball outfit before it vanishes. "That's why…" He covers his heart, with it beating slowly. "I need to fight this…I just need to. For the sake of my own sanity and Star's safety." Letting the water run, he washes his face and uses alcohol to clean up his cuts.

The princess a floor below, was pacing however. Holding on to her mirror phone tightly, she makes a decision. "Call Tom." It rings and the image of a handsome demon shows up. "Hello Starship. What's up?"

"Can you come over? I feel sad and I need someone to talk to." Tom notices her somber face and instantly thinks of a specific human.

"I will be over soon." Star hangs up the call but Tom just feels horrible. He was overjoyed to be bonded with Star after the Blood Moon. Their kiss still lingered on his demonic lips. But he feels bad for Marco, as he gets his situation. The demon feels that something is amiss though, not just Marco's ranging emotions. Putting on his trademark suit and jacket, he makes a portal to the Diaz Household and sits on the couch. "Wow, you got here fast."

"Demon magic is cool stuff Star." He pats the seat, pushing Star to sit next to him. She leans on his shoulders, sighing contently. "I talked with Marco and…the kid really is hurting."

"I saw for myself tonight. I don't like it." Star says in a horrified tone. Tom picks up on this and narrows his eyes.

"Did he hurt you?" Star gives a baffled look, making Tom calm down. "Sorry. Assume the worst sometimes. But what _happened_ exactly?"

"Well…I tried to make up with him after breaking his heart." Tom rolled his third eye, making Star groan in annoyance. "I got him a Quest Buy card and we visited the place for a few hours. The entire time, he felt like simply being near me was like…I don't know, touching lava or fragile glass. It wasn't like hanging out with my best friend, more so like a really nervous boy."

"He _likes_ you Star." Tom says with annoyance. "He told me he would sacrifice his own life for you. So, yeah, he cares a lot about you. But that doesn't explain everything."

Star sighed and closes her eyes. The images of Marco violently screaming at Ludo, calling himself a loser and crying in her arms repeat over and over. "Ludo showed up and he nearly killed him. And he broke down, crying in my arms."

Tom sighs, embracing his girlfriend with a warm hug. "It will be okay Starship. I went through the same thing you know."

"Yeah but…" Star let go and gave a confused look. "What do you mean by that?"

Tom leans back in the couch and looks up at the ceiling. "Want to know why I'm so friendly with Marco? Outside of just trying to cool the fire? Because I see a lot of myself in him. What he is going through right now…mirrors very closely how _I_ felt when we broke up for the first time. I cried, broke things and was very harsh with my minions. But I got better, taming my anger and becoming a changed man." Star is surprised to learn this, knowing that she emotionally broke _two_ close men in her life. Tom notices this and pats her back.

"You telling me this so I could feel better? Cause I honestly feel worse." Star admits.

"No Star." He kisses her cheek and hugs her again. "I'm telling you this, because Marco _will_ get better. His heart doesn't only belong to you."

"I know Tom." Star says with a smile. "He is growing close with Janna and want to know what he got using my gift? A present for her." Tom grows a stupid grin and folds his arms.

"See? Time heals all wounds, as the saying goes or whatever." Tom throws his arms around Star. "Just give him time and he will get better."

* * *

Marco spent a while in the bathroom; taking a shower under boiling hot water to cool the nerves. Throwing on his trademark hoodie and black paints, he goes downstairs. To his amusement, Star and Tom are sleeping in each other's arms. The image _should_ have brought out his rage again, but it didn't. Both of his friends looked so happy with one another, that he couldn't let his own emotions run wild again. Walking into the kitchen, he poured himself orange juice and head outside.

"I just wish things can be normal again. My emotions…" He sighs, putting his hands inside his pocket. To his surprise, he feels something. Taking it out, it's his necklace he got for Janna. "Oh…I really did get this." His face turned red as he touched the black moon charm. " _Why_ did I want this though? I mean…I care a lot about Janna but my heart is acting all nuts over Star." He looks up at the sky, with a bright red moon shining. "Red…Moon?" Marco rubs his eyes, but the red moon is still present. "The light never hit me, so why can I see it?" The light is shining upon Star and Tom. "So…it appears during an important moment. Okay. But _why can I see it_?"

"See what?" Marco turns around and spots Janna leaning on the side of his house. "All I see is a white moon dude."

"Oh…sorry." Marco sighed and sat back down. Janna joined him, studying his band-aid covered hands.

"Wow, got into a fight or something?" Marco chuckled darkly.

"Fought some monsters to the point of almost killing one of them." Janna's eyes grew wide, making Marco sigh. "Yeah, I let my anger come loose." He digs into his pocket and gives Janna a quarter. "Can I get some relationship advice?"

Janna snickers, taking out her cup. "Sure thing Diaz." Marco lets the silver coin drop in the cup. "Talk away."

"I felt so strange being around Star during my trip to Quest Buy with her. My body felt warm being around her and…" He curls up in a ball slightly. "It was like when I had a crush on Jackie."

"Really?" Janna says in surprise. She knew he must fell for Star _hard_ if Marco's in 'Jackie Mode' when around the princess. "This is bad."

"I know and I…broke down." Janna grows a horrified expression.

"Did…did you harm anyone? This isn't like when those kids tried to beat me up right?" She asked in a panicked tone. Janna remembers when people punched her in the face in grade school, leading Marco to…make the bullying stop. Forever.

"It was worse." Marco admits. "I…I screamed in Ludo's face and cried in Star's arms for a good five minutes."

Janna just hugs Marco after hearing this, trying to make him feel better. "Look, don't get like that again. You are a kind guy but when you get _that_ angry? That isn't you Marco."

"I…I know Janna." Marco hugs his friend back, holding her tight. "But something good came out of it." They let go and he gives her his gift. "Consider this a 'thank you for being my friend again' gift. You are important to me and I will not lose you to anything."

Janna feels the light weight of the necklace, feeling warm. The dark moon shined bright with the chain being one of her favorite colors. "…Wow."

"I know it's weird to get a gift like that from your guy friend. But I hope you accept it." Marco feels a blush come on his cheek with Janna smiling madly. "W-Want me to put it on you?"

"Yes." She says softly, with Marco gently placing the necklace around her neck. Janna softly caress it and feels complete joy. Her body feels heavy, overwhelmed with happiness, so she lets her tired head lean on Marco's shoulder. He puts his arm around her and they watch the bright moon shine down on them. To the boy's surprise, it turns into a midnight black…almost mirroring Janna's necklace.

"Is this like the Blood Moon?" Marco asks aloud but once he spots Janna's peaceful face, he doesn't think much about it. He is happy to be with a close friend. The night's light shines brightly on two groups of teens.

* * *

Meanwhile in the land of Mewni, sees a proud king come back to the castle. Coming back home after a fun hunt, River Johnson-Butterfly still has the thought of his human friend linger. Seeing his broken face…is something the man is all to familiar with. The man is in front of his castle, something he helped built alongside the love of his life Moon Butterfly. Smiling at the tall tower, he feels somber, remembering a specific friend of his. "Old friend…I met your spiritual successor and I feel just as horrible for the poor lad." A lone tear comes down the burly man's face, which he soon punches off. "Men don't cry, we fight!" The man shouts as he charges into the castle.

Passing by guards and other workers within the castle, he jumps into his throne. "Haza! Feels wonderful being home." Moon just studies her husband, noticing his face. Years of being married to the wild man have taught her when he acts wild, it's to mask personal stress. She places her blue gloved hand on his shoulder, kissing his cheek. "Nice to see you dear. Had a good hunt."

"I'm sure you did honey." Moon fought with herself not to roll her eyes. "So, how was the visit with Star and her human friend?" This instantly deflates River, making him look at the ground in shame. Moon grows worried, assuming her daughter once again caused pandemonium. "What did she do this time?"

"Well…" River ponders how to praise this, but he speaks from his heart. "She broke that boy's heart and he looked somber. The fire in his eyes, the same fire we saw before putting pumpkin on Earth, is starting to vanish." Moon's eyes grew wide, being surprised hearing this.

"Really?" Moon says in a higher than normal voice. "I would think that our daughter would be interested in the Earth boy. We placed her at that house due to Glossaryck's advice about him protecting Star while she trains."

"Don't mistake his warrior spirit with his current sadness Moon." River says seriously. "I still feel his warrior heart pumping. It's his spiritual heart I'm worried about." The king folds his arms, looking right in his wife's eyes. "That is the most important part of any warrior. It is why I'm so strong dear." He places his strong hand on Moon's check, making her diamonds glow faintly. "You make me strong."

"I know." Moon kisses his forehead and smiles fondly. "You were the reason I was able to face our former friend all those years ago." She sighs and rubs her temples. "Shame things…" Moon's thoughts stopped, making her panic. "Marco isn't going to be like _him_ , correct?"

River just laughs like a mad man, making Moon put on her angry face. "Dear, he is upset with our daughter but he still loves her. Don't worry about that." Moon calms down, but still feels the seed of worry dwell inside her. "I want to make him a Knight."

Moon's eyes grow wide hearing this but she humors her husband. He likely has a good reason for this decision. "Continue."

"Marco Diaz is a warrior unlike any we've seen on Mewni. He uses melee combat without traditional weaponry and still can defeat armies of monsters. In addition, he has the potential to become even stronger. I want to put him on the trails in the future, to further test his abilities." River grows a huge grin. "I'm going to invite him to the upcoming family reunion as my guest of honor, proving to our family he is more than just a fond acquaintance of our daughter. He is a warrior that will do great things for the kingdom."

" _Will_ he want to though?" River has a focused expression, intently listening to his wise wife. "Our daughter broke his heart and he likely has attachments to Earth."

"I could offer the position to him privately, allowing him to ponder his decision." River argues, making his wife nod in response. "Even if he refuses, I still want to train him in the art of combat. Maybe even take the lad out on hunting expeditions." He smiles and places a warm hand on his wife's poufy shoulders. "I like the lad and I want to help him mend the broken heart inside him."

"I trust in your judgement dear. Did you happen to feel anything 'off' about our daughter though? Glossaryck sent me a warning message about her magic." Moon grew a panicked face. "He even implied she might become the next Eclipsa."

River only sighs, feeling bad. His wife works so hard running the kingdom, but she is a loving mother at heart. There isn't a day where she doesn't worry about Star. "She will be fine dear. Her heart is strong. She is a JOHNSON after all!" River stands tall, making a battle pose on his throne. "She can cut the head off a beast and drink its blood! AHHHH!"

Moon chuckles slightly while River regains his composure. "Yes dear…I know she is a Johnson." She sighs and leans on her throne. "I want to speak with her about Marco though. I'm disappointed about her treatment of the boy."

"I wouldn't get involved dear." River argues. "You know teens, their emotions being all strange and confusing. Let them figure it out. I talked with our pumpkin anyway, she knows what to do."

"If you say so." Moon says unconvinced. The two sat in silence, resuming their rule over the grand kingdom of Mewni, with the thoughts of Marco and Star lingering in their minds.

* * *

In the outskirts of Mewni, resides a large castle owned by Ludo's family. He 'barrowed' his parents keys and took it over for himself, trying to be a _real_ super villain. Pinning after the Butterfly Magic Wand, he wants to get monsters rights and revenge. But today, the bird is shaking out of utter fear and panic.

"That Earth Boy…looked so…horrifying." Ludo holds on to his green skin, feeling shaking flowing across his body. The contorted face, the raw tears and rage within the human's eyes and the almost banshee like screeching coming out of his mouth; it's an image the bird will never forget.

_Shut up. Shut up. SHUT UP._ _**SHUT UP!** _

"The only thing I did was call the boy Star's boyfriend." He huffs in annoyance. "What, it's not like she…" He freezes his thoughts for a moment. Did…did she do what the monster _thinks_ she pulled? "The princess, broke his heart?"

Ludo is surprised with the act, as they seemed so close. Fighting his minions for a while now, the bird knows they are a team that is well-oiled. Nothing and I mean _nothing_ Ludo threw at the duo worked thus far and that angered the bird. He spent time on his plans…mostly. Just as he ponders a new plan realizing this information, a trusted minion knocked on his door. "Come in."

Buff Frog slowly walks into the room, still recovering from the latest fight with the princes and human boy. He gives Ludo a stern look, folding his arms. "You leave Karate Boy. He is somber."

"WHAT?!" Ludo shouts. How dare his minion boss him around, the bird ponders. "I gave you a home and cloths…where are your pants anyway?"

"Um…" Buff Frog rubs his neck. "They chafe sir."

"Ugh!" Ludo groans in annoyance. "But still! We could use this to get the wand. Make the boy hate her and…" To the birds surprise, Buff Frog jumped on to Ludo's bed and lifted the monster up. Shooting a bitter glare using his bright yellow eyes, Ludo shut up on the spot.

"Listen Ludo. I respect you. You give me home and food. And clothing too. Thank you. But Earth Boy hurt. He loves princess even if she does not love him. You mess with emotions of teens, I leave. Know other places that need muscle Buff Frog offers." Ludo is shocked to hear this from his most loyal minion, but some part of him understands. Remembering growing up, Ludo was the runt of the family, feeling like he was nothing. Worthless. Realizing Marco could feel the same currently, Ludo sighs in defeat.

"Fine. Now…LET ME GO BUFF FROG!" The minion let's go and walks away, leaving Ludo confused. "Why does he care so much about those two anyway…whatever, could think of other plans." Closing his eyes, he has nightmares of the boy screaming at him, causing tears to come out of his shut eyes. The pain Marco felt? Ludo is trying to understand right now.

 


	5. Emotions Unleashed

After a very long night, Star begins waking up. Her body feels something heavy on her shoulder, making her smirk. Thinking it's her best friend laying next to her like old times, she turns to face him. To her surprise, it's Tom, soundly sleeping. 'Why did I think Marco was with me?' Star pondered. But she shrugged the thought away, enjoying the company of her demon boyfriend. A rainbow wave of smells cloud the princess's senses soon though, making her look behind her. She spots Marco and Janna setting something up in the kitchen.

"Starship?" Star looks back to her boyfriend, holding her tight. "W…Where are we?"

"We passed out sleeping on Marco's couch." She tugs a soft blanket covering them. "He even put a blanket on us to stay warm."

The demon princes smiles faintly, both happy he got to spend a night with his love and surprised Marco not only let it happen but also covering them to stay warm. 'He really is a cool guy sometimes…' Tom thinks to himself.

"Hey love birds! Waking up yet?" Janna shouts from the kitchen. "Me and Bad Boy over here spent two hours making breakfast, so get your butts moving." The beanie clad girl is honestly happy despite shouting moments before. Gently touching her moon necklace, she feels an emotion she normally suppresses. Looking up at Marco, gently placing trays of food on the table, she allows herself to embrace the emotion.

Marco though? He feels determined. After dealing with a lot of stuff the past few days, he wants to talk with his friends, letting them fully aware of how he feels and what he learned. Hopefully, all the tension and pain can put to rest for a while. He glances at Janna and cannot help but feel a blush hit his face. After spending the night with his best friend, he honestly wonders if his heart is opening itself up to Janna. Regardless, he wants to enjoy reconnecting with his childhood friend.

* * *

Star and Tom get up and sit down next to each other, complementing Marco and Janna sitting across from them. Tom takes notice of Janna's locket and grows wide eyes. "Wow…you really must care about her Diaz."

"Janna _is_ my friend…wait, what are you talking about?" Marco asks in confusion. Tom points to her neck. "Oh, I wanted to get her something and I honestly thought that would be good. Um…is that a problem? I hope it isn't…" Marco plays with his fingers, with Janna laughing and Tom snickering. "Before everyone starts teasing me, I want to talk about a few things. Clear the air to so speak."

"Sure thing." Tom responds back. He is eager to learn more about his troubled human friend. Marco takes a deep breath and looks right at Tom.

"I'm sorry Tom for making things way more complicated than they should be regarding your relationship with Star. It isn't fair to you _or_ her. Regardless of my own emotions, I hope to put them to bed and move on." He holds on to his heart. "But it might take time, so please bear with me."

"But you did nothing wrong." Star says somberly. Tom shakes his head, surprising Star.

"You are really mature Marco. Yes…you are making things a bit more complicated, but I completely understand." Tom sighs and gives a warm smile toward his friend. "Thank you for working with me too. I know this…is hard for you. But, you are trying." He gives a look at Star, one of both confusion and frustration. "Hopeful you can work with us too Starship."

"Y-Yeah. I will try to make everything work too." Star sighs and looks down at her food.

"Okay, we got that out of the way." Marco wipes his head, getting some sweat off. "Now here comes the strange part…I don't know if this is bad or not." Tom raises his eyebrow while Star honestly looks confused. Janna just folds her arms, fully aware of what her friend will say next. "I can see the Blood Moon too."

Tom stands up tall like spring and has his eyes glow slightly before clamming down. "HOW!?"

"I don't know Tom!" Marco shouts back, just as annoyed as his demon friend. "Saw it last night when you two passed out. I'm assuming those hit by the moon can see it. _But I wasn't hit_! Star's mentor mentioned the Moon is dangerous for members of the Butterfly family. So…I don't know _what_ to make of it." Marco sits back down and rubs his forehead. "…Please don't burn me to ash Tom. I honestly feel really confused like you like are right now."

Tom takes a deep breath and thinks. The moon _never_ hits more than two people. He read up on the Moon before taking Star to the ball and ensured it would be safe. But the fact Butterflies cannot be part of rituals? That is news to the demon. He looks over toward Star, folding his arms in utter annoyance. "So? Going to explain what Marco just talked about?"

"I know my family doesn't support rituals but I never heard about danger?! And why didn't Glossaryck tell me this. Ugh! That annoying blue man…" Star's eyes shoot wide open though, looking at Marco. She realizes that…he really might be her soulmate. He picks up her look but shoots one of utter contempt right back.

"What?" Marco hissed. "You think the Moon hit _me_? I don't think so. For all _I_ know this is another one of those weird magic things that happen sometimes." He slams his fork into the table and sighs deeply. "And besides, fuck destiny. You love Tom and he loves you."

Tom is taken aback by Marco's blunt language, with Janna equally surprised. She grabs Marco's hand, noticing how violently it's shaking. Janna can _feel_ Marco wanting to take advantage of this information, but he won't. He wants Star and Tom to be happy. She feels joyful, knowing how far Marco has grown. "Calm down dude, I feel you shaking the entire table. Going to flip it?"

Marco looks down and sees his shaking hands. "Um…sorry." He sits back down and takes a deep breath. "Guess now is a good time to mention this. Tom isn't the only hot head here; I have bad anger problems."

"R-Really?" Star answers, still shocked from Marco's violent gaze earlier. "You always seem so calm and collected."

"That isn't true. When I was growing up, my anger kept blowing up over little things. Hell, someone calling Janna a wrong word had me deck them in the face. Training in martial arts helped cool my mind and gave me spiritual focus. But recent events prove I still have _a lot_ to work on." Marco turns toward Tom. "You know any good programs to help with my anger issues Tom? I would be grateful if you can help me get in touch with them."

Tom just nods, at a complete loss for words. He and Marco shared a lot…more than the demon realized. The demon talks after a few moments. "So Marco…you saw the Blood Moon. What do you make of that?"

"I honestly don't know Tom. But can you send me books about it? Maybe we can find the answer to this little mystery." The two boy's smirk before laughing slightly. "One last thing, as I don't want our food getting cold. I saw another odd kind of Moon last night. It was a black moon, mirroring Janna's necklace I gave her."

"I know about that." Tom answers. "That is the Eclipse Moon and it doesn't bind souls together like the Blood Moon. Rather, it enhances a bond with another person."

Janna's eyes grow wide hearing this…as it explains her amplified emotions toward Marco. Though she thinks she had them all along. Star frowns hearing this information for some reason, not going unnoticed by Janna. "You two boys get started on eating. I want to talk with the princess for a few minutes."

"Have fun." Tom and Marco say in unison, making the two pause before laughing.

* * *

Star sits down on the couch, with Janna having a very controlled face. She wants to say _a lot_ to the confused princess. "What do _you really_ want Star?"

"What?" Star asks in confusion before sighing. "I only want Marco to feel better…"

"I saw that look when you heard about the Moons. Think it hit Marco?" Star feels frozen in place, unsure how to answer. "You…you like him to. Don't you?"

"No! I…I don't like him that way." Star answers trying to sound confident, but Janna doesn't buy it one bit. She gets angry now, tightly grabbing the end of the couch.

"You are funny, you know that?" Janna chuckles darkly. "The poor boy is trying _hard_ to be calm and collected with his emotions. He told me _everything_ that happened yesterday. Want to know what _I_ think?" Star nods fearfully. "You are stringing him along."

"No I'm not." Star hissed, clenching her wand tightly. "I just want my _friend_ back."

"Then fucking tell him!?" Janna screamed. Her face was red with rage and her necklace was glowing. "He is _hurt_ and you are playing with his emotions. You think this is a _game_ princess? He LOVES you a lot and you _dare_ mess with him like this?!" Janna punches the side of the couch, trying to calm down. "Huh…guess I better join Marco for those anger management lessons."

"I'm sorry…okay?" Star says softly. "I'm really confused too. I feel strongly for _both_ Tom and Marco." Star honestly feels this way.

"Make up your mind princess." Janna says coldly. "I'm not waiting anymore." She gets up and walks away, leaving a stunned Star alone on the couch.

* * *

Marco munches on his pancakes and moans contently. "Nothing beats home cooked food. Like your eggs man?"

"They rock dude." Tom answers back. "And…thanks."

"For what? If anything I should be thanking _you_." Marco chuckles. "I mean, I'm making things hard for you and…"

"No." He puts down his fork and looks intently in Marco's face. "You could easily ague the blood moon hit you and try to get back with Star." Marco is frozen in place and sighs. "I know you thought about that."

"But I wouldn't do it." Marco answers honestly. "Look…I hate feeling this way anyway. You know how much it _hurts_ just being around her? I feel like my skin is on fire…I want to be her friend and just that." He rubs his forehead. "Besides, you deserve another chance with Star anyway. You changed and are a good person. Fuck the blood moon or fate. You worked hard and should give dating her another shot."

"Wow…" Tom feels surprised by Marco.

"Oh…I don't curse much. Just…feel quite angry lately. Guess those future anger management classes will help." Tom and Marco laugh fondly before calming down. "Want me to get you more food?"

"No, I can get it myself dude. Still up for some gaming later? We can dive into Blood Moon history stuff while playing." Marco holds up his fists, with Tom pounding it.

"Sounds great." Marco smiles and feels at peace. Yes, part of him wanted to pull Star away from Tom. But he doesn't want to do that really. Tom is his friend, a kindred spirit. Wanting to be a good friend is more important to Marco more than anything right now. "Oh…to answer why I wasn't a jerk about things? …I think I might be moving on."

Tom grows a stupid smile and gives Marco a thumbs up. "I knew that necklace meant something. Did you know what does when you got it?" The boy shrugged his shoulders. "Still, that was cool of you. Maybe we can do double dates."

"Hold the phone buddy! Not asking Janna out yet. Want to kill these feelings for Star first." Marco sighed in anger. "IF I can kill them to begin with…"

"You will." Tom says calmly. "Love is something…odd. It changes people."

"Yeah, it makes me a lunatic that almost killed our monster rival." Marco mumbles. Tom feels the hidden shame inside Marco.

"Anger is a form of power Marco. I know this, as it fuels my fire magic." Tom gives Marco a stern look. "If you can master your anger, you will only become stronger."

"Hopefully you're right Tom." Marco says softly. The two continued eating their breakfast, unaware of Marco's favorite stalker watching the duo. She feels her heart thump, knowing that her friend might feel like her back.

* * *

While everyone else is eating a Mewni Princess is in deep thought. After being told off by Janna a few minutes ago, Star Butterfly has a lot to think about. Does she love Marco back? Or is she just guilty for hurting the boy. Star lightly taps her head with the wand to get answers but nothing is coming to her.

"What's wrong?" She looks behind her and spots Marco holding out a tray. "You kinda just left all that food sitting there. Normally you scoff down everything." Star forms a smile but soon frowns. Marco rubs his neck, unsure what to say to his friend. "Look, I'm sorry if I scared you last night, if that is why you are so down right now."

"No…that isn't it." Marco notices her voice hitching and stuttering slightly. Taking a deep breath he sits next to her on the couch and puts the tray down. "You aren't the only one confused."

"Really now?" Marco folds his arms, growing an annoyed look. "Well, if this is about your magic training, I'm sure you will ace it. You _are_ Star Butterfly after all." Star is baffled at Marco right now, though she ponders if he wants to deny things to avoid feeling hurt. "But I'm thinking this is more of an emotional thing, right?"

"Yes…" Star scooted closer, with Marco pushing himself away in response. "Sorry…"

"I-If you have something to tell me, just say it." Marco says in an annoyed tone. He refuses to let his emotions control him any longer. Not after how badly he exploded the other day.

"I…I don't know how to feel about everything." Star says honestly. Closing her eyes, she thinks about her adventures with the boy. "I hurt you and…I've been thinking…"

"Shut up." Star feels alarmed at how angry Marco sounds. "You think that I will buy this? I get you feeling guilty, but none of this is your fault. _I_ was the stupid Earth kid that fell for a Magical Princess from another dimension. If you really don't feel guilty and are saying what I _think_ you are saying…you made your choice already. And this isn't fair to Tom." Marco feels anger starting to bubble up inside him, holding his fists tightly to the point where blood starts trickling down. "I will care about you and I _always_ will. But my heart cannot take this abuse anymore. Either be my friend or leave me the fuck alone." The boy marches off into the kitchen and faces Janna & Tom. They notice the bitter expression on his face.

"Oh no…" Janna grabs Marco's hand. "Did she…"

"Can we go somewhere please? I need air." Marco turns to Tom. "You can leave the house like this. I will clean up when we get back. Want to come with us?"

Tom notices how shaky Marco is right now and only sighs. "What did Star do?"

"What do you _fucking think_ she did?" Marco hissed, making Tom jump back. "Sorry…honestly didn't mean that. Can we play games at your place later? Can't stay here right now."

Tom looks over to the couch, feeling anger towards his girlfriend. If she has conflicting feelings, he completely understands. But playing with Marco, in his current state right now? The demon feels shocked. "Sounds good man. See you two later." Janna and Marco march out of the house, leaving Star alone.

"What did I do…?" The princess looks at her hands and feels horrible. Her conflicting feelings are bubbling up and she doesn't know what to do. Today, she might have just lost her friend for her carelessness. Tom sits down next to her, having a blank look on his face. "Tom…"

"I get feeling confused about emotions. But don't confuse Marco further." The demons says sternly. "We are going to investigate the Blood Moon together and figure things out. And one more thing." He stands up tall and sighs deeply. "I will survive another break up, but at least humor me with a date tomorrow."

"I do love you Tom." Star says confidently. "Just…I guess guilt is coming over me is all." Tom studies her expression and rubs his chin. Star is a very kind soul, Tom knows this well as he can tell by their color. Her soul is covered with a bright blinding shade of yellow and white.

"Okay Starship." He puts on a smile and hugs his girlfriend, letting the two embrace for a short while. "Before you make Match Diaz explode again, how about we clean up his house."

"Sounds good Tom." The two laugh as they head in the kitchen to clean up.

* * *

Janna feels utter contempt for the magical princess living with Marco right now, as she is helping her shaking friend walk across Echo Creek. His body is heating up and his fists are bleeding from rage and anger. "I…I should leave."

"No you won't." Janna says sternly. "I know you feel hurt but…"

"I won't leave you." Marco calmly states. Janna stops and turns toward Marco, watching his eyes leak tears. "You are too important. Just…talking stupid is all. I'm just a _loser_ after all." Anger starts flowing through Marco again. "Who does Star think she is?! Leading me on like this! I…I…I…"

"Stop." Janna places her hand on his shoulder. "Just…stop."

The two teens look into each other's eyes longingly. Marco feels the anger seep away, with Janna's touch calming him down like a wave of the ocean. Janna touches his cheek, rubbing his brown mole slightly. Standing still, the two close the distance and share their very first kiss. Janna nearly tackles Marco into the ground as she passionately kiss his lips. Marco lets his positive emotions overtake him, tightly holding on Janna, fearful of her vanishing. They soon let go and have stupid smiles on their faces.

"Wow…" Marco felt sparks flow through his body.

"Seems like I wasn't your sloppy seconds after all." Janna grins madly, poking Marco's flustered face. "That was your first kiss, wasn't it?"

"I was saving it for someone special…" Marco gently picks up Janna's cheek. "Guess the master thief stole her greatest treasure, huh?"

"You and your jokes." Janna smirks. The two hug one another and feel a black light shining down upon them. "So…we are a thing now?"

"I hope we will be after a kiss like that." Marco says bluntly. Janna punches his arm, making him smile dumbly. "Thank you…I guess I needed a push so I can move on."

"Anything for my Safe Kid." Janna winks, which Marco laughs at. Throwing his arms over her shoulder, the two walk across town, happily enjoying their first moments as a couple. The beanie clad girl feels overjoyed, finally giving in to her desires and getting what she wanted for years; being with her best friend. Marco though? He is happy to be with someone that respects him. Janna, in his mind, is one of the most real people he's ever meet. Her feeing strongly for him…makes the boy feel whole.

* * *

After a few hours, Marco comes back home. Feeling a new wave of positive emotions, he smiles and throws himself on the couch. He notices a small piece of paper and picks it up.

_Dear Marco,_

_Hey…I'm sorry. I pushed things too far and have been a horrible friend to you lately. I know you feel…or felt emotions toward me but I've done nothing but make things worse. Despite everything, I hope we can still be friends. Knowing our connection is severed recently, I feel…scared. We were a team, always working together._

_I hope despite whatever you do, we can be a team still. This rebel princess needs her Marco to be around. So…I hope you consider being my friend after everything. Tom and I cleaned up the kitchen while you were gone…yeah, I know. Star Butterfly cleaning. I promise nothing broke…but don't mind the toaster being slightly burned. Um…Blame Tom for that! Yeah!_

… _Anyway, I will be back home later tonight, so…hope we can talk then. Thank you for everything._

_\- Star Butterfly_

Marco feels a tear come down his face and wipes it away. "She does care about my emotions…though she had a funny way of showing it before." The boy mumbles. Studying the paper, he couldn't help but feel like this happened before. "Huh, she got my letter idea and ran with it. She always had nice hand writing." Marco folds up the letter neatly and puts it inside his pocket. Walking into the kitchen, he takes out a soda and puts on the TV, wanting to kill time.

* * *

Soon though, a loud knocking is heard. The boy kicks himself up and opens the door, being surprised by King Butterfly. "Hello Marco!" He tackles the boy with a manly hug, which he responds back to. "Ah, feeling better I see."

"Deal with emotional trauma enough times and it doesn't bother you much." The two laughed loudly. "I will get you some coffee sir." The boy races into the kitchen but River feels a wave of relief wash over him. Seeing Marco scurry around and having a smile on his face, the man feels his soul is burning brightly again.

"So Marco, I wanted to ask you something." River says loudly. Marco smiles as he passes the kind man his coffee. "How are you doing?"

"Well sir…your daughter really has me feeling confused, I will say that much." Marco admits honestly. "But I'm ready to move on." The boy smiles and holds on to his heart. "Connected with my friend and looking forward to things."

River grows a mad grin and slams his palm into Marco's back, nearly knocking him off the couch. "Great work my boy! I knew the woman charms would pass down the gene pool."

Marco's eyes grow wide, realizing what he just meant. "You…you view me like…a son?"

"Always have Marco." River says with a smile. The boy's face is in utter shock, letting the information sink in. "I see a lot of myself in you boy. When I was your age, I was a nervous wreck but loved to fight. Beating bears…fighting lions…punching MONSTERS IN THE FACE! CURSHING THEIR SKULLS IN MY HANDS?!" Marco raises an eyebrow, making River cough to collect himself. "Point being, I loved to fight. You do as well, right?"

"Yeah…but you don't know this about me sir." Marco takes a deep breath before sighing. "I have anger problems. Bad ones. I almost killed Ludo with my bear hands the other day." River looks shocked but pats Marco's back in understanding. "Star cried after seeing me like that. I…I broke down after fighting his minions last night."

"Boy, men are normally supposed to not show their emotions." He pats his chest proudly. "It shows our POWER!" Marco chuckles at the grown mans shout. "But we need to release our emotions. You need to find a way to release them healthily."

"I'm working with Tom on that one." River raises an eyebrow. "You don't know? Tom is dating Star again."

"The demon? I thought pumpkin hated him…" Marco folded his arms and sighed.

"Tom really changed, growing calmer. I think he would make a great future king of Mewni." Marco elbows the king, making him chuckle. "Hey, I know they will stay together…hopefully."

"You don't want to be with my daughter anymore?" River asks seriously, making Marco look at the floor.

"I…I don't know anymore. I mean, just told you before I connected with my friend again." Marco touches his heart, smiling contently. "Janna is real and has always been there for me. Hopeful things work out. But I will _always_ love Star. Just…not letting her hurt me anymore. My anger. My _rage_. I _hate_ seeing that come out of me." Marco curls up slightly. "You understand sir?"

"Yes boy, I completely understand." River rubs Marco's back and grabs the boy into another man hug before letting him go. "But I want to ask you another question. You interested in coming to the Butterfly-Johnson family reunion as my personal guest of honor?"

Marco grows a smile on his face, feeling overjoyed River, a _king_ and a kind respected man, views him so highly. The boy stands up and bows respectfully. "It would be an honor sir."

River just grows an honest smile and pats Marco's shoulders. "You will make a fine warrior. I'm sure you will." He let's go and looks around. "Now…how do you use those toilet things again?"

Marco only laughs in response and wipes a tear away. "The bathroom is upstairs. You _don't_ put everything in the hole. It um…causes clogging."

"Nonsense, magical gnomes clean up things on the other side." River runs up the stairs, with Marco only shaking his head, knowing that the house will be flooded within the next five minutes.

 

 


	6. Bonds Reconnecting

To say today was a very memorable day for Janna is an massive understatement. Not only did she tell off a certain princess she had a lot of issues with but she is officially dating Marco Diaz; her crush for many years. The beanie-clad girl fondly remembers the very first day she realized her feelings.

_Five years ago, she was alone in the winter. Her friends left her alone, hanging out with the 'cooler' kids of the block. Janna cuddled up in a ball, trying to stay warm but her jacket wasn't heavy enough. The snow kept hitting her exposed brown hair, making her sniffle and sneeze._

" _I hate being alone…everyone is a jerk."_

" _Tell me about it." Janna looked behind her, spotting Marco wearing a puff coat and a green beanie hat. "Alfonzo and Ferg pelted me with tons of snowballs and I'm freezing."_

" _At least you have a jacket to wear. I'm just cold with nothing to keep me warm." Janna sighed, trying to warm herself with a hug. Marco felt horrible, so he did the nobile thing in his mind. Taking off his heavy jacket and beanie hat, he gave them to Janna. "Are you nuts? You will be shaking soon."_

" _This bad boy has his hoodie." Marco throws up his red hood, shooting a toothy grin. "See? All nice and warm." Janna spotted Marco shaking but he said nothing, maintaining his smile. The girl felt warmth, not just from the jacket and hat, but from Marco's kindness. No one ever tried being that selfless for her before. Janna smirked and threw on the jacket and hat, fixing it slightly. "You look cool."_

_Janna bursted into laughter at Marco's horrible pun and decided to throw a snow ball at Marco's face. "Take that!"_

_Marco ducked and grew a playful grin. "Oh, you will lose to the karate master!" The hooded boy picks up snowballs and the two friends started a playful snowball fight, with the boy unaware of his female friend's attraction toward him._

* * *

The memory played in Janna's mind and her face formed a stupid smile. Unaware, her necklace glowed brightly as she walked around town. "Going to tell Jackie the good news." She fishes for her phone and takes it out.

_"Hey Jackie, got some good news."_

_"What happened? You seem really happy."_

_"Janco is a thing."_

_"What?"_

_"Ugh…I mean, me and Marco are dating now."_

_"Wow! Congrats girl! Wait…what about Star?"_

_"What about her? I got a lot to tell you, so maybe we should meet up soon. Walking toward your house now."_

_"Cool, see you around girl."_

* * *

Jackie hangs up the phone and she feels a mixture of emotions. On one hand, she is bursting with joy seeing her friend confess long hidden feelings. Not only that but she is glad Marco can be happy. But the comment 'What _about_ her?' when mentioning Star makes Jackie worried…something happened. "I will find out soon enough I suppose." Jackie sighs and leans back in her chair, playing with her laptop. She is writing some paper for school and nothing is coming to mind.

The topic is love, which humors her considering how she's watching a real-life drama unfold before her. "I wonder if they would mind if I base my study on them..." Jackie ponders. The girl shrugs and cracks her fingers.

_Love is something that changes over time. We see people grow and connect with one another over time. But the raw emotions? That is tricky._

Jackie taps her chin, trying to think what to write next. She snaps her fingers, but feels bad thinking of this.

_Something that comes to mind is what I call 'love at first sight', which has one soul look at another fondly. They see an 'image' of them, wanting to connect with that image. But when they finally get near said image, it vanishes, exposing the truth. They can try to see the 'real' person behind such an image, or just leave outright._

_Brave souls that continue to pine after falling for an image, show truth strength and noble heart._

The girl folds her arms, feeling content summing up how Marco crushed on his 'image' of her. Once he got to know the 'real' Jackie, he became a good friend. She doesn't mind the boy not liking her that way anymore, rather she enjoys being his friend. Taping the keys, she continued writing.

_One type of love is through friendship. This kind of love grows over time, with adventures and moments forming powerful bonds. But expanding this love into something more intimate leads to complications._

Jackie stops writing, sighing with frustration. "Star is really damn lucky to fall under this 'kind' of love. Though don't know if Marco still cares for her in that way anymore." She sighs and continues writing.

_When that friendship is tested under this kind of love, it can threaten it gravely. Powerful bonds can shatter like glass shards bouncing on the concrete. If one person in the bond doesn't feel the same way and cannot understand their friend, it causes both to suffer._

"Uh…never thought about Star being down about things." Jackie taps her chin but shakes her thought, continuing writing.

_Can a friendship survive if love tests it so heavily? I believe it can. A bond isn't built overnight and through personal study, I can tell my test subjects will remain close friends. And that is not just a feeling. That is a fact._

Jackie finishes writing and saves the paper for the time being before closing her laptop, feeling happy where it's currently at. "I really do think Star and Marco can remain friends once this whole thing ends. But…hopefully Janna can explain things." She hears faint knocking. "Speaking of the witch." The skater girl says playfully.

* * *

"Sup girl." Janna waves, having a wide smile. Jackie takes note of the necklace around Janna's neck, feeling drawn to the moon charm. "Oh come on. You know I'm dating someone. I _could_ go both ways though."

"Gross." Jackie jokes, making the two laugh. "I was just looking at that." Pointing to the necklice. "It looks really pretty."

"Thank my boyfriend for that." Janna tugs the charm lightly. "Think it will be part of my daily attire. Matches the hat." The two girls smirk and sit in Jackie's kitchen. Similar to her clothing, her home has ocean-colors everywhere, with the walls painted in faint ocean blues. Jackie pours her friend some water while she slugs down a half-empty can of soda.

"So…spill. What's going on with Star?" Jackie asks with wonder. Janna's facial expression grows hateful, making Jackie back off slightly. "Wow, okay. Um…I guess _something_ happened if you hate her so much."

"What?" Janna is taken aback but sighs. "No, I don't hate heartbreaker." Jackie smirks at Star's new pet name. "I could call her princess but that new pet name fits better."

"Love the one you gave me. Fancy way of saying ice." The two laugh briefly before getting back on topic. "But what happened?"

"Well…Marco explained to me Star took him to a store called 'Quest Buy' in an effort to get him a gift." Jackie raises an eyebrow. "You confused about them hanging out with her dating? Or about the store?"

"Both girl." Jackie slugs down her soda before crushing it on her helmet.

"They always go on adventures, so that shouldn't shock you too much. But the store has everything…mostly magic stuff." Janna holds up her moon charm. "This thing? Is the gift Marco got. Instead of getting something for himself, he set out to get something for me."

"That is so sweet. Told you he had a thing for you." Jackie winked, making Janna lean back in her seat. "But this isn't a happy story. Stories need conflict to be good!"

"The writer coming out of ya?" Janna scoffs, making Jackie flip her hair back.

"Just saying a fact. Continue." Jackie leans forward, intently listening to her friend. Janna coughs.

* * *

"Well, the princess flirts with the troubled boy, making him squirm like a little bitty worm. The boy shakes and yells in frustration! The princess feels bad and they patch things up. An iconic duo is restored…but not really. An army of monsters showed up and the boy unleashed his demon side. Fighting with nothing to lose, he almost kills the leader of the monsters. Under intense guilt, he cries in the princess' arms, trying to move on with his life. Soon, he works with his trouble maker friend to make everyone a tasty meal in the morning, trying to explain himself boldly I might add."

Jackie is laughing so far, enjoying Janna's 'imaginative' take on the events. "Keep going girl!"

Janna forms a bitter expression, making her friend grow a concerned face. "The boy learns a truth that _he_ was the one meant for the princess the entire time! WOW! The entire room is shocked and amazed, but he put down his own feelings so the spoiled brat can be happy with her demonic prince charming…who is a cool dude I must say. The boy is ready to move on but the princess feels _conflicted_ , adding drama into the story. Making the boy enraged, he storms off and cries into his best friend's arms, hoping to calm down."

Janna stops talking after this, forming a frown. "…Be real here. You okay?"

"No." Janna responds bluntly. "Even though Marco is with me now, I _hate_ how Star hurt him. I'm assuming they will make up later but still." She leans on the counter, sighing.

"Come on girl." Jackie pats Janna's back softly. "He _choose_ you."

"I know, which is what pisses me off the most." Jackie is shocked but let's her friend continue talking. "She is a magical princess and he still cares for her. So…why does he love me?"

"Do you need me to make a list?" Jackie says half-jokingly.

"Taking pointers from Diaz? Clever." The two girls chuckle slightly before becoming silent. "I am happy. Honestly, I'm overjoyed. But…I don't know. Marco is still facing demons."

"You mean Tom?" Jackie asks earnestly, though Janna takes it as a joke.

"He isn't going to fight Tom! They are bros." The beanie donned girl folds her arms, smirking. "Surprisingly, they are good friends. Hearbreaker scarred him too."

"Damn." Jackie shakes her head. "Those are princesses for you. To think, they would be like those Disney movies."

Janna laughs madly, hitting the counter hard. "Good one, but Star is more like that warrior chick from the dragon taming movie."

"Good point. We are still going to be Star's friends, right?" Jackie asks seriously. Janna is taken aback by the question and stays silent for a moment.

"Of course we are going to be her friends. She isn't stupid Jackie." Janna sighs in exhaustion. "If anything, this is a learning experience for Star."

"Should haven't messed with our safe kid…" Jackie mumbles, but Janna catches it. The skater girl blushes. "W-What?"

"So I have _competition_ now do I?" Janna smirks, making Jackie huff in annoyance. "Kidding girl. Many have a thing for Diaz."

"Sorry…" Jackie rubs her arm. "Guess that's why I'm really annoyed about this whole thing too." Janna places an arm around Jackie, calming her friend down.

"I'm not sharing him with you girl." Jackie smirks and rolls her eyes. "But I'm sorry."

"About what? I'm happy this finally happened." The two girls smile and chat away, enjoying each other's company.

* * *

 

Marco has been cleaning his house for the past hour…after River put half the house into the toilet bowl. "Sir, glad the magical gnomes helped clean things up." He says sarcastically, which River just laughs over.

"My you are the funny one boy. They were likely on break or something…" River answers, making Marco form a toothy smile. To the boy's utter shock, he formed a kinship with the jolly king. "I'm going to head out Marco, so take this." He passes the boy a letter and a pair of scissors. "Use these to head into Mewni."

"Wait a minute sir." Marco holds up the scissors. "You trust me holding these? I thought Queen Butterfly said 'no interdimensional travel' for Star?"

"But I'm giving them to _you_ boy." The king gave a playful wink. "You will earn them in due time, so just have fun with them for now."

"Wow…okay sir." Marco bowed with respect. "Have a safe trip home."

"Adventure awaits!" River makes a portal and jumps through it screaming, making Marco chuckle. 'He is more nuts than Star…happy he is my friend.' Marco says to himself. Feeling the weight of the scissors, he notices his name engraved on the blades.

* * *

"I have to earn these in due time…" Marco gently brushes his skin over the cold steel, deep in thought. Knocking soon snaps this thoughts awake and he gets up. "Guess the magical couple is home." The boy jokes and opens the door. "So you kids had fun? Notice the toaster is burnt. You owe me a new one Tom."

"What?!" Tom moaned. "Star was the one that…" Marco holds up the letter Star wrote him, pointing to Tom's name. The boy makes a grin, which Tom chuckles at. "You will make a wonderful lawyer one day."

"Not one of my top profession choices, but noted. Come on in guys. Um…don't mind the mess. Star's dad came and clogged the toilet."

Star's eyes grew wide before snickering. "Oh dad…you don't put _everything_ in the magic hole. Only paper stuffs!" Tom and Marco give each other a knowing look and inwardly snicker. The three teens sit down on the couch, with Marco having a dumb smile on his face. Star notices this and smiles. "Glad you are feeling better Marco…I'm sorry for everything."

Marco turns toward Tom, which the demon nods to. He knew the two need a moment alone to get final emotional baggage cleared up. "Starship, don't let him explode again, okay?" Tom says half seriously before walking away. He is happy Marco is going to put things to peace, as the demon feels the boy earned that much.

"Hey so…" Marco and Star say in unison, making them grow wide eyes. Marco groans in internally while Star grins.

"I'm sorry about…" They talk again in unison. Both are getting annoyed at this point.

"Stop that!" The duet speaks yet again, both being quiet for a few moments. Marco grows a stupid grin.

"I like pie!" He shouts, with Star saying silent. "Okay, I look dumb now." The princess laughs madly before calming down. "Look, I haven't been that nice to you in recent days and you really didn't understand my feelings well enough. You saw a really raw side of myself that…I normally don't expose people too. I hope we can be buddies still."

"I'm deeply sorry Marco." Star says somberly, folding her hands together. "I thought we were best friends, having such a powerful bond. But lately, I only just made it weaker and weaker to a point, where it's not even there anymore." She sighs before speaking again. "But I want to repair that bond and for us to be friends still. Friendship hug?"

"Friendship hug." Marco and Star hug, with the duo feeling a red light touch them. Tom notices and sighs to himself, but unknowing to the demon is Marco frowning at the red light. Before letting go of the hug, he puts a smile back on and the two become friends once more. "Also, you have neat handwriting." He holds up Star's letter which she blushes over.

"I-I wanted it to look nice, okay?" She huffs with annoyance, making the boy roll his eyes. "But what's in your pocket?"

"What do you mean?" Star points to the blue handle. "Oh! Your dad gave me dimensional scissors. I'm going to that family reunion thing as his person guest of honor. He's a really cool guy. Think we are friends now."

Star's eyes grow wide before smirking. "Good job making an impression." She elbows Marco, making the boy rubs his arm.

"Don't worry, I gave in a good word for Tom too." Marco smirked, making Star roll her eyes. "Seriously though, you should invite him to the event."

"…What about you though?" Marco has a natural face, folding his arms.

"I will manage. Besides, I could see if the king would let me take Janna." Marco grows a stupid smile. "That is the best news though; we are a thing now." Tom's eyes grew wide and he nearly tackled Marco into a bro hug. "Wow! Um…didn't know you was listening to everything dude."

"I _knew_ you two would work out. Congrats man!" Tom rubs Marco's messy hair, and the two boy's laughed stupidly. Star just looks at the two and smiles. The princess thinks things will be okay, though her confused feelings toward Marco aren't fully settled. She doesn't mind this though, as she is overjoyed to see her close friend happy again and their connection to be felt once more.

"You and Janna…" Star says softly before sighing. Marco catches this and rubs his neck. "I feel bad to make her so angry."

"She got mad at you?" Marco says in surprise, but Tom isn't shocked in the slightest. He was well aware of her crush on the Earth boy. To be honestly, the demon was surprised Janna didn't hit Star.

"We had…a talk and…" Marco put his hand up, silencing Star.

"That is between you and her…and to be frank, we were both jerks to each other Star." Marco says bluntly. "Let's just…leave as water under the bridge, so to speak." The boy smiles fondly.

"Okay." Star takes a deep breath and relaxes in the couch. "So! You two should hang out."

"Starship, I was planning to have some gaming time with Diaz anyway." Tom rolled his eyes, with Marco snickering slightly. "But that is a good suggestion. Ready to head out?"

"Sounds good." Marco gets up to stretch his arms and back. "Man, cleaning the whole house took a lot out of me."

"So, ready to get crushed by a truck in Demon Adventure 2?" Tom snickers, but Marco only cracks his knuckles.

"I will kick your butt demon boy." Marco says with sass, making the two boy's laugh. "Going to be okay Star?"

"I will be fiiiinneee. Going to watch the TV or something." Star takes out her wand. "Or, I could practice some spells."

"Just let us know if Ludo shows up." Marco folds his arms. "Though…I don't think he will show is face after my outburst." The boy rubs his forehead. "Ugh, hated how angry I got."

Tom pats Marco's back in complete understanding. "We will work on that dude, don't worry." Marco smiles faintly and nods. "See you around Starship." The two leave in a fire portal, leaving the princess alone in her thoughts.

* * *

Star sits in the couch for a good five minutes, locking her vision on the TV screen. Holding on to her heart, she _feels_ Marco again, making her heart marks glow. "My connection…is back." This makes the princess overjoyed, as she hated not being close with her friend. "Friend…I don't know if he will ever call me a 'best friend' again." Light-bulbs appear on her cheeks and an idea forms in her mind. Taking out her mirror phone, she holds it open. "Call…Pony Head."

The horse head is pacing around in Saint O's, which unknowing to Star, the horse took over. Getting help from her friend Kelly and a strange demon named Tammy, the three run the place like a party-ground. Floating around in her decorated room with posters of boy bands and other magical stuff, she notices a call on her mirror. She presses it with her tongue, with her bestie Star Butterfly appearing in the image. "Sup girl! How you hangin B-Fly?"

"I'm okay Pony." Star says with a smile. "Can I talk with you about a few things?"

The pony sighs loudly, thinking it's about a specific earth boy. Pony Head, despite never telling Star, knew her princess bestie had a thing for Marco since they met. Pony calls it 'relationship instinct', as she is the _master_ of hooking people up…so she tells herself. "It's about you crushing on Earth Turd?"

Star blushes and pouts. "NO Pony! I'm dating Tom now…" Pony Head's gaze narrows, knowing of the demons anger issues.

"Okay girl, you talking crazy now. Explain."

"Well…he showed up to my school a few weeks ago and invited me to this Blood Moon Ball." Pony Head snickers. "Hey! It was a really romantic event. He was charming and very calm."

"Faker…" Pony Head mumbles, earning a huff from Star. "Sorry, continue B-Fly."

"Anyway, we had the light of the Blood Moon hit us and we made out, becoming a couple again…but Marco snuck into the ball, and…." Pony Head gasped dramatically.

"The Earth Turd LIKES YOU!" She burst into laughter, making Star groan. "Sorry girl, but man. Karma, right?"

"Can I finish please?" Star said quietly. Pony Head picks up on her somber expression and sighs. "Thank you. So…he acted all weird around me and I learned how unstable Marco truly was. You know Tom's anger problems? Nothing compared to Marco's."

Pony Head's eyes grow wide hearing this, as she assumed the kid was only a worry wort. But…she slowly understands what her bestie explained to her. "Girl, the quiet ones are _always_ the most mysterious. So what? Breaking up demon face to be with Marco?"

"No…and he found someone else already." Disappointment was clear in Star's voice, which Pony Head picked up on. Rather than understanding from her friend, Star was surprised by a bitter frown etched across Pony Head's face.

"Girl, you don't lead a guy like Marco along like that. He likely crushed _hard_ on you. But you two are besties, so make up with him." Star only sighed in response and leaned back into the couch.

"But here is the strange part…the Blood Moon pairs souls together…and the light hit Marco too." Pony Head just became confused at this point.

"Speak in English girl." She states bluntly.

"What I _mean_ , is that I think the Moon paired Marco with me, but I was so into being with Tom…I never noticed." Star closed her eyes, trying to confirm this theory. Thinking of her human friend brought out such joy, making the princess' heart marks to glow a vivid shade of red.

"…" Pony Head was just angry at her friend at this point, but can understand having confused emotions. After all, she dated, like ten guys in the span of a week once. "Look girl, be with demon boy and let Earth Turd be with his girlfriend. If he comes around, don't let him go."

"Thanks Pony…though you have a mad face." Star grows a frown. "You mad at me too?"

"Of course I am! A guy like Earth Turd doesn't come around often." She sighs before calming down. "But you know best. You are a smart one girl."

"Want to come over? We can watch movies and visit the bounce lounge." Pony Head grins madly, happy to see her bestie in high spirits.

"Sounds great! Get ready for some _party time_ girl!" The call ends, leaving Star happy.


	7. A Trip to the Underworld

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs 'Escape from the City' from Sonic Adventure 2 and 'Nothing Else Matters' from Metallica are used at two key points in the story, so listen to them if you want added impact and stuff. Thank you for reading the story so far!

In the land of Mewni, monsters of all kind are viewed down upon…and this includes the many demons and horrors of the Underworld. Tom is no stranger to being called a monster or terror, but he embraces those words; he is proud of being the prince of darkness. However, the demon was a lonely flame for much of his life, but he did form connections with people.

But to think he would connect so fondly with the human named Marco Diaz shocks him. Originally a target against his affections toward Star Butterfly, he really respects the human for not only trusting him with Star but also putting internal feelings aside to be a decent person. To say the demon thought that he would invite a human to his castle to simply 'hangout' instead of ripping their body apart still shocks the demon.

"Wow…this is a really hot place dude." Marco comments, making Tom sigh. "What? It _really_ is hot. You know, with the lava floating and stuff." The boy takes off his hoodie to deal with the intense heat, only donning a grey tee-shirt and black pants. "But I like the design of your castle. Took pointers from that turtle king? If so, don't leave an axe at the end of a bridge."

"Oh trust me, that won't happen." Tom stops, knocking the ground beneath them. "Hard steel and no switches in sight. That turtle guy is stupid having a damn switch…going to speak with him in the future."

"I was just talking about a game dude." Marco chuckles, but Tom only rolls his eyes, making a mental note to remind an ally how stupid he is. "Anyway, thanks for inviting me over."

"No problem dude. I wanted to hang out like this since that movie…" Tom shivers thinking about the film. "Please tell me you didn't pick that _willingly_ for yourself?"

Marco only laughs, throwing his arm around his demon buddy. "No dude. Janna gave me the choice but once we got to the theater, I told her to pick the film." Tom sighed making Marco chuckle. "When she wants something, she _will_ get it. For most of my life, she sneaks into my house and steals my stuff."

Tom only laughs in response to this. "Seems like you two had quite the chemistry. Honestly happy you are pushing through things." The demon pats Marco's back softly. "Hope you two stay happy."

"I hope so too man." Marco forms a toothy grin. "And _you_ be happy with Star." Marco playfully pokes his chest. "She is a handful, I should know. I live with her madness on Earth." He laughs to himself, but Tom studies the boy. "Turning my arm and hair into creatures, making our teacher turn into a troll and even casting magic in her sleep! To say living with Star is eventful is…a massive understatement."

"You still feel happy around her?" Toms asks calmly, but Marco flinches, noticing the demon's third eye glowing.

"Dude…your eye is glowing." Tom stops and takes a deep breath. "Listen…I was dead serious when I said that I wanted to kill my emotions toward Star. And we both know that dumb moon came down before the two of us left."

Tom rubs his chin, walking with Marco through a hallway. He is surprised his human friends _does not want_ to feel the effects of the moon, as despite suppressing his emotions, he figured he would be overjoyed to be in love with Star. "You don't like the moon's effects?"

"Not really." Marco sighed, slouching forward. "I mean…my connection with Star is restored, telling me we are buddies again. But the talking in unison thing? Really strange…" The boy pats his face and forms a wide smile. "But hey! I'm going to move on and be happy with Janna. It's honestly exciting! Never had a girlfriend before."

* * *

Tom laughs loudly, making Marco glare at his demon buddy. "Really?"

"Yes, _really_. I'm not some demon prince dude. Just some lame Earth guy…" Marco forms a grin, throwing his arm around Tom. "But tell me _player_ , which fine ladies did Thomas date in his life before Star Butterfly came into the picture."

"…If you utter a single word I tell you, the skin you wear goes on my wall." Tom says sternly, with Marco only smiling in response. Tom is shocked…Marco _isn't_ afraid of him?! Even under a threat? The demon grew another reason to respect the odd Earth boy.

"We are bros man." Marco hits his puffed up chest. "Blabbing about that stuff is breaking a code or whatever." Tom forms a kind smile and coughs. "Want to talk about this sitting down?"

"Sure thing." The two friends sit down in the halls, leaning on a wall. "My first date was some chick named Flame Princess. She was on fire. _Literally_. Like, her dad had her live in a glass jar for crying out loud! But she was really friendly. I tried to help her tame fire powers but…she burned my castle down. Oh…my dad was _pissed_ when he got back home."

"Wow…she really was _hot to the touch_ , huh?" Tom gives Marco a funny look, making the boy sigh.

"Sorry, bad at puns." Marco admits, rubbing his neck. "Continue."

"Thanks…so, we stopped seeing each other but she told about hooking up with a human boy in another dimension. The kid even has a talking magic dog, so glad she's happy." Tom smiles and stretches his arms. "But the second girl I dated… _oh boy_ THAT was nuts. She seemed to be a generic princess and loved wearing yellow all the time. But she was _aggressive_. When playing tennis, she had a mean back hand."

"Huh…" Marco leans forward, paying attention. "What do you mean by generic?"

"Well…she tried acting all proper but really, she was a _bad_ girl that loved fun. She found someone else though and moved on from me. The funny thing, the guy's brother bothers one of my contracts all the time. If only that idiot would stop kidnapping his girlfriend…" Tom frowns before sighing.

"Any more lucky ladies buddy?" Marco lightly punches Tom's arm, but he looks down. "I didn't mean to be mean…sorry."

"Better I come clean about my past with Star, as we _are_ bros after all."

* * *

Tom makes a faint smile. "See…after my second break-up, my dad was really angry. He demanded I find a 'perfect future wife' or whatever but I only wanted a friend. So, he paired me up with someone from Mewni. You know who…"

"Pony Head?" Marco jokes, earning a well-deserved punch in the arm. "Okay! Just trying to lighten up the situation. You seemed down..."

Tom smiles and just sighs at his human friend's poor joke. "You are stupid Marco… So, I meet Star when we were ten years old and…she really was into me. Playing pranks on the royal guards both in my kingdom and hers, having fun watching movies and even fighting monsters. But her _stupid family_ kept calling me 'monster' or 'evil'. I mean…those _are_ correct terms but still. It hurt." Tom curled up in a ball, with Marco patting the demons back gently.

"You can stop if you want." Marco says kindly, with Tom shaking his head.

"No…I need to tell you this. You spilled your guts out to me over and over the past few weeks. This is the least I owe you." Tom's face begins tearing up slightly. "At one point…I blew up."

"Was it like my episodes?" Marco asked honestly, making Tom curled up in a ball. The proud and horrifying demon prince…looked like any troubled teen at this point.

"No…it was worse. My entire body went into flames, the room filled with Mewni Nobles fled out of utter fear and Star looked terrified. She still stayed with me after that episode and her father was very understanding of my temper. However…I…I just kept letting it bother me. She didn't want to deal with it anymore and we broke off things peacefully."

* * *

Marco was silent, pondering his next choice of words. Soon, he gave his friend a warm hug and patted his back. "Look, you are with her now and I'm here. Just like how you are understanding of my own junk, I will of yours too."

Tom felt joy being with his friend, hugging him back in response. They let go and stand up. "Enough of sappy crap, let's have fun gaming."

"Now you're talking Master Tom!" The two teens turned their attention to a walking skeleton. He slowly approached the two teens and studied Marco intently. His eye sockets looked…playful, with his attire being really strange. Despite the high temperatures of the underworld, he wore a heavy vest and baggy jeans. "Um…who is this kid? Does he need to get dunked on?"

"...Fan of that game I imagine?" Marco says deadpanned, earning a chuckle from the friendly creature. "My name is Marco Diaz and I'm Tom's friend." He holds out his hand. "What's your name?"

"Pete Sanskrit. Heard _a lot_ about you. Tom even planned to send me to Earth." He leans into Marco's face. "Glad you gave the princess up, he would have killed you."

" _Really_ now?" Marco asked playfully, growing an amused grin. Turning to Tom, he is tugging at his shirt, trying to look away. "No harm, no fowl."

"Wow, you are a cool dude." Pete laughed before throwing his covered arms around Tom and Marco. "So we up for gaming?"

"Yea Pete." Tom said with a smile. "Just know we will _dunk_ on you. This guy is great at video games."

Marco cracks his fingers. "When you play them for years, the skills are hard to lose." The three burst into laughter and headed into Tom's game room.

* * *

Meanwhile, Earth has two magical princesses dancing to loud music in the Diaz living room. Pony Head is bopping her head to the music's beat while Star is rocking on an air guitar. The two princesses are having a ball partying, but are stopped when two faces walk through the door.

"Hello St…wow." Jackie rubs her neck, laughing slightly. She saw the living room covered with food, garbage and loud music echoing across the house. "Some party, huh?"

"Hey Heartbreaker. Sup." Janna makes a peace sign and smirks. Star frowns at her new 'nickname' but she hopes to get used to it…or 'convince' her friend to ease up on her. Janna throws herself on the couch, spotting Pony Head looking confused. "Hi Pony. You are one of Star's friends, right?"

Pony Head studied Janna, but her eyes grew wide at her necklace. "Girl…you know what _that_ is on your neck? It's one of the most…" She teared up, a rare sight for the party-happy princess. "Earth Turd is a sap."

"Yeah, he got this for me using Star's gift. Um…still find that a bit odd but whatevs." She leans forward, looking at Star. "Can I just say…sorry for being a prick?"

"W-What are you sorry about?" Star asks, sitting down next to her. Jackie and Pony Head sneakily head into the kitchen, picking up a bowl of half-eaten chips, watching the scene like the real-life drama it is. "You did nothing wrong."

"No, I egged you on about Diaz." She sighed and place her hand on Star's shoulder. "We both care for the kid, as does a _specific skater girl_." Janna looked behind the couch, giving Jackie a playful wink. Pony Head laughed loudly, with Jackie's face turning a bright shade of red. "But yeah, many care about Marco."

"I know…I hurt him and I feel horrible." Janna laughs, making Star confused. "Why are you _laughing_? Aren't you mad at me?"

"Girl? Me and Diaz have been jerks to you." She wipes a tear away. "Marco is a confused guy but he could have had a bit more…tact, so to speak." Janna shrugs and throws her arm around Star. "Kid needs to learn some lessons 'bout talking to the ladies. Hope I can help with that."

"I _hurt_ him though." Star looks down, feeling guilt spreading across her body. "Yeah, he _has_ been mean to me, but it's not like I didn't deserve it." The princess honestly meant this, but Janna knows Star is a good person…just has some issues reading people sometimes. She pats her friend's back and smiles.

"You know this lucky charm?" Janna holds up her moon locket. "Helped me feel all kinds of stuff. Remember what demon boy said? It amplified emotions and I love Marco." She touches her lips, feeling how joyful the words sound coming out of her mouth. "Y-Yes. I love Marco. So, lashing out at you while waring this…likely made me act out a bit…harsher than intended."

"So, are we still friends?" Star asks honestly. "And…I don't want to lose Marco."

"Will lay it thick Princess." Janna holds out her hands, counting down. "You are my good friend, Marco can be your bestie still, many girls like the guy, you stop leading my Safe Kid on and be your bubby self again." Janna turns to Jackie. "Did I leave anything out?"

"Um…" Jackie taps her chin and walks over. Leaning over the couch, she smirks at Star. "Just be his friend and be cool. He still sees you as his friend."

Pony Head munches on some chips and hovers toward the girls. "Wow, I thought you two chicks came to tussle with B-Fly. You are cool." She swallows her food and burbs. The four girls are silent for a moment before laughter explodes in the room. "But you still like Marco, right Star?"

"Wait a moment…" Jackie holds up her hands, giving Star a look of utter confusion. "You _**like**_ Marco? Then why the hell are you dating Tom?"

"Hailstorm, don't freeze the Princess with your icy furry." Janna pats her friend's back, making the girl sigh in defeat. "But seriously, work your stuff out with Marco. I _won't_ let him go easily."

"I understand." Star similes and feels overjoyed that her friends are understanding her. She hugs Janna, with the beanie clad girl hugging back in response. Jackie and Pony Head shrug, soon joining in the girl-powered hug. The four girls let go and smirk toward one another. "Want to crash on the boy's fun?"

"Yeah!" The entire group shouts in unison. Janna takes out a bell and hammer, shocking Star on the spot.

"W-Where did you get that?!" Star shouts in confusion, covering her mouth. The girl only smirks, tossing the two items in the air carelessly before catching them.

"A master thief never gives away her secrets." Jackie raises an eyebrow, making Janna sigh. "I stole it from Marco's closet."

"I wonder if he _like's_ you stealing his stuff at this point." Star jokes, making Janna form an honest smile. She hits the hammer and the four teens head to the underworld, checking upon their favorite boys.

* * *

Minions and creatures of the underworld are known to hear screaming and horrific sounds, as…that is part of the 'charm' of the kingdom. But whenever Tom decides to have some game time, more joyful sounds echo across the kingdom or rather, his castle. Inside what the demon dubs his 'Man Cave', he joins his friends Marco and Pete for quality game time.

The human boy is tapping his feet to the sound of the opening stage from 'Demon Adventure 2: Battle', humming the sounds of the music. Tom begins bopping his head as the demonic rabbit street-skates across a burning city with Pete soon tapping his bony hands on the counter. Marco hears his friends jamming to the music and thinks about doing something stupid.

"Rolling around at the speed of sound…" The human boy chirps.

"Got places to go…" The demon joins in.

"Gotta follow my rainbow!" Pete stands tall and shouts. The three smirk and begin tapping their feet. Soon the trio sings in unison.

_Can't stick around, have to keep movin' on._

_Guess what lies ahead, only one way to find out!_

_Must keep on movin' ahead, No time for guessin', follow my plan instead!_

_Trusting in what you can't see and take my lead, I'll set you free!"_

The game room is booming with laughter as the three teens pause the game. Marco sighs with content, leaning back in a gaming chair. "Man! That was fun. One of my personal favorite games dude." Tom folds his arms and only grins in response.

"I remember loving the vocal themes for this one." Pete sighs, rubbing his bony chin. "Though, those raps man…

"Huh." Tom says in mild surprise. "That's right, the hunting stages with the bear _do_ have mild rapping…strange."

"They are so cheesy, but amazing at the same time." Marco says joyfully. Pete and Tom only laugh, making Marco roll his eyes.

"Okay warrior, calm it down." Pete says playfully. The trio sit back and relax, but Pete just takes in Marco with utter surprise. To think, a simple human would be fun to hang around with. Reminds him of that kid with good determination he met while alive. "You are cool Marco."

"Thanks Pete. You really don't know me well, so want me to explain myself a bit?" The skeleton rubs his chin but shrugs, putting his bony fingers away.

"I come from the town of Echo Creek and been known as the 'Safe Kid' for years. I grew out of that name once meeting two friends." Marco sighs contently. "I meet Janna when we were little kids, with her alone in the freezing cold. After giving her my jacket and beanie, we became fast friends. But people kept picking on her, so we caused…mystify." Tom raises an eyebrow. "When I told you I had a 'bad boy' side, I was serious. Though…that side of me is violent. I…I almost killed a kid for punching Janna in the face one time. So, I took karate and other martial arts to calm down." The boy leans back in his chair. "But my life became weird and wild when a specific magical princess crash-landed in Echo Creek."

"Ah, Star Butterfly." Pete grew a fond smile. "Tom talks about her _all the time_ , don't you bro?"

"Dude…we've been friends for like years now." Tom says in fake annoyance. "Of course I talk about my girlfriend with you."

"Shocked you dated a fire being that one time." Pete shivers. "Still remember having to rebuild the castle with you."

"Yeah yeah…." Tom hand waved, turning back to Marco. "Continue dude, maybe you can tell when your little crush on Star started."

"I don't think it's _little_ but okay buddy." Marco chuckled. "When I meet Star, she turned a butterfly into a monster, taking one of my classmates away…haven't heard from him in a while." Pete shivers while Tom only smirks. "I even snapped at her, as she got on my nerves a lot. Making a rain-cloud appear over my head for two hours, making an army of cute puppies that set the house on fire and even making a flaming rainbow inside the school. However…when we fought Ludo's minions for the first time, it was like we knew each other's movements like that." Marco snapped his fingers. "Shocking how well we fought side-by-side despite only meeting for a few hours."

"Interesting…" Tom and Pete say in unison, intently paying attention. Tom to find out why the boy loves Star so much but Pete is listening out of genuine interest.

"As the days and weeks went on, there was this… _connection_ between us. I don't know if she felt it, but I wanted to hang out with her all the time." Marco chuckles. "But recent events paint a different picture." The boy soon frowns, something both Tom and Pete notice. "I was being lead on; she just liked how nice and helpful I was in guiding her through Earth. Feel really stupid letting my heart grow so fond of her when really, we were only just good friends."

Tom is in utter shock hearing doubt from Marco. "Hey bro, don't beat yourself over it."

"I know Tom." Marco says with a sad smile. "A lot of guys like her back on Earth." Tom's third eye twitches. "Hey! Don't you burn the school down for hearing that…got it?"

"Kid's right Tom." Pete interjects. "She _is_ an attractive princess after all."

Tom sighs and smiles at his friends. "But that didn't answer my question Diaz."

"I know…I think my crush started once she went through Mewberty." Tom stood up and visibly shook. "What?"

"You…you _survived_ through Mewberty?" Marco just nods, making Tom's eyes grow wide.

"It wasn't _that_ bad…though she scared the pants of the guys at school. Trapping them in lockers and picking up Oscar in the air. That guy is oddly cool….when Star had him crash into the ground, he just kept playing his Keytar." Tom sat back down while Pete narrowed his gaze, trying to understand something. "But Star went into the air and…I thought she left for good. Keep in mind, this is before I reconnected with Janna and became your friend Tom." Marco looked at the ground somberly. "I thought…I lost her forever. When she came back, I had to hug her, fearful for letting her go."

"That explains everything." Tom says confidently. "You are a lonely guy and wanted people to trust. You placed it with Janna but for some reason, you two drifted apart. Star came around and she helped you cope with a lot."

"Ironic how she brings out my anger now." Marco darkly chuckles before sighing. "But I hope that explains things." He turns to Pete. "So, what's you're deal?"

Pete lays back in the chair and sighs. "Tom, get the popcorn ready."

* * *

Tom dashed back into the game room after five minutes of getting food and drinks. "Ready dude." The demon elbowed Marco. "Marco, you will get a kick out of this."

Pete stood up tall and coughed loudly. "So, when I was a wee lad, I was born in a normal family. Had a home, friends. All that jazz. But one day…I found out I had psychic powers." The skeleton snapped his fingers, making a blue bone spin in the air. Marco only folded his arms and grew an impressed look.

"I never really used them much, as I didn't want the local punks to bug me. You know, do them favors with my powers and all that." Pete began pacing. "But some ship thing came down and I had to work with my buds to take on strange stuff around my town." He sighed, throwing himself back in the couch. "But to take on the final jerk, me and my buddies had to go inside robot suits and head into…some odd place. My friends got back safely but my soul vanished."

Marco just felt bad after this point. He got up and patted his new friends bony back. "Sorry man…you okay?"

"I'm fine. Thanks for caring though." He grew a toothy smile. "But my story isn't over yet."

"This is the best part." Tom munched on some popcorn, with Marco grabbing a handful for himself.

"Now, my adventures continued. I woke up underground and found various portals. My body was…this." He pulls up his sleeves, exposing his bones. "So, I can never die. I'm immortal. I went on doing odd jobs across _all_ dimensions. But I bumped into my best bud over there." He points at Tom, with the demon growing a smirk. "We fought and after a few rounds, he agreed to be my personal slave."

" _No_ …you agreed to be _my_ slave. Get your facts right." Tom snapped his fingers, summoning a contract. "Don't think I forgot about this."

"You are a _clever_ one buddy." Pete winked at Tom, causing the two to laugh fondly. "But yeah, now I help Tom train and junk. Also help him take out annoying people he hates." Pete looks at Marco and leans forward. "Again, you are lucky to be friendly with Tom. He seriously was going to send me after you."

"Well…knowing your powers and stuff." Marco takes a deep breath before folding his arms. "Glad things worked out in the end."

"Yeah." Pete smiled, throwing his arm around Marco. "Glad they did. Honestly hope we can be friends."

"Me too." Marco holds out his fists, which Pete pounds. "So, what game do you guys want to play next?" The human looks around the game room. "Tom…you have _every_ game, don't you?"

"And…I have special ones." He snaps his fingers, summoning two guitars and a set of drums. "You two up for some Rock Band?"

* * *

Somewhere in Tom's Castle, four girls walked out of a portal. Star leaped out first, having a huge grin on her face. Taking a deep breath, she sighs, fondly remembering the many pranks she pulled with Tom here. "This place is cool guys! Tons of stuff to mess with."

Janna comes out next, instantly tugging her shirt. "This place is way too damn hot. Should have came in topless." Jackie punched her arm, coming out with Pony Head next. "What?"

"You _want_ to make the guys faint?" Jackie comments, making the girls laugh.

Pony Head just shakes her head. "You girls are _craaaaazy_. I like you."

Star turns around, smiling at her friends bonding with one another. "I know where the guys might be. If I know Tom…"

"And if I know Marco…" Janna comments.

"They are in the game room." Janna and Star say in unison. The girls look shocked at first before laughing slightly.

"Good thing you gals know your men." Jackie snorts. "You know where this game room is?"

"Yeah! It's at…" Star is about to answer when a strum of guitars silences her on the spot. Janna looks in the direction of the noise, with the two girls slowly walking toward the music. Jackie and Pony Head give each other worried look, so they chase after their friends now running toward the music.

Star's heart pumps rapidly, with her vision being tainted red. Thoughts of her friend echo in her mind, imagining his voice singing of all things. Janna feels a similar sensation, but her vision is tinted midnight black. She remembers the melody of the song, forming a smirk on her face.

* * *

Marco, Tom and Pete are having a blast playing Rock Band but the human is surprised he is using a _real_ guitar. The boy used this before playing at family gatherings, but never expected to use one again. Tom had the game on shuffled, so they played random songs for a few minutes. The latest song popped up and Marco got into the beat. With Pete on the drums and Tom using an acoustic guitar, Marco took 'center stage' and began singing.

_**So close no matter how far** _

_**Couldn't be much more from the heart** _

_**Forever trusting who we are** _

_**And nothing else matters.** _

He closes his eyes, letting his mind go on auto pilot. He feels a black light shine down on his back, with the touch of a beanie clad girl leaning on his shoulder. Turning to his side, Marco see's Janna smirking madly. The boy smiles wide, getting into the music.

_**Never opened myself this way** _

_**Life is ours, we live it our way** _

_**All these words I don't just say** _

_**And nothing else matters.** _

The light opens up a small portal, showing Marco and Janna's most fond memories with one another. Playing pranks on bullies and playing games together play before Marco and his figment of Janna. She kisses his cheek and the boy feels a fire in his eyes. Marco just strums on the guitar harder.

_**Trust I seek and I find in you** _

_**Every day for us something new** _

_**Open mind for a different view** _

_**And nothing else matters!** _

Tom and Pete spot Marco jamming away without a care in the world. The demon feels a tear of joy come down his face, seeing his troubled friend let loose and have fun. Pete though, picks up on something happening. He can touch people's 'emotions', so he feels conflicting thoughts within Marco's mind. Unware to the three boys are two awestruck girls watching them. Star's face is glowing, her vision locked on to Marco. The lyrics feel as if they mirror her own emotions toward the boy. Janna meanwhile, just sighs longingly, falling for the troubled boy all over again.

Marco's mind continues jamming away, feeling powerful with Janna spiritually standing alongside him. But his vision soon becomes tinted with red and his close friend vanishes. The boy mildly panics but a familiar princess soon enters his mind. She just stands still, smiling brightly.

_**Never cared for what they do** _

_**Never cared for what they know** _

_**But I know…** _

Star comes closer to Marco, with the boy walking closer, feeling his heart slowly burning like a small fireball.

_**Never cared for what they say** _

_**Never cared for games they play** _

_**Never cared for what they do** _

_**Never cared for what they know** _

_**And I know.** _

Marco and Star are inches away from one another, her face glowing radiantly under the light of the Blood Moon. The boy wants to walk away but his soul keeps on playing the guitar, his storm of emotions refusing to move away.

_**So close no matter how far** _

_**Couldn't be much more from the heart** _

_**Forever trusting who we are** _

_**No, nothing else matters…** _

Star leans in close, now donning her Blood Moon Ball outfit. Marco knows what is going on and tries to snap out of this trance, but his heart won't let him. In a fit of controlled rage, he gently puts his arms on the figment Star's shoulders, trying to push her away, but she just grabs him violently. Lust fills her eyes, hungry for something…

"AHHHHHH!" Marco screams, shocking everyone in the room. He drops the guitar from his hands, thankfully not breaking. His entire vision is tinted; his left side seeing blue and his right seeing red. Hands are violently shaking and he looks pleadingly toward Tom. The demon studies his friend, spotting the familiar red glow under him. He reaches out to help, but he freezes on the spot. Marco turns around, spotting Janna and Star watching the boy.

Marco walks slowly toward the two important woman in his life, kneeling down once in front of them inches away. Tears start coming down and he unleashes his emotions. "Why…why is this so _hard_? I _hate_ my stupid heart." Janna kneels down, gently patting her boyfriend's back. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

Pony Head floats toward Marco, resting her head under the boy's arms. "It's going to be okay Marco..."

Pete looks at the scene and feels horrible. The three souls Star, Marco and Janna are bound by fate, with the boy and princess having a powerful connection…as does the human girl have with Marco. He turns to Tom, who gives him a knowing look. They pause the game and get close to Marco.

"Marco…" Tom pats the boy's back, with Marco shooting a guilty look to the demon. "It's okay. I'm not mad."

Star wonders what is going on, with Pete giving the princess a glare. "Princess, come with me please." Pete walks off, with Jackie following. Tom just stays with Janna, helping their friend calm down.

* * *

Pete folds his arm, giving the princess a very angry look. "Why are you playing with them like this?"

"I didn't do anything. I just came to see my friends and…" He simply holds up his hand, not dropping the gaze.

"The Blood Moon. It hit you and Marco. I didn't feel the moon's effects on Tom at all. But _why_ didn't you tell him that yet?" Jackie's eyes grow wide, both from confusion and shock. "Oh, you don't know? The moon links two souls together forever... _but_ , it can ONLY hit two souls." Pete holds up his hand, making images dance in his hands. "The Princess and Tom danced under the light…but the light only fully hit _her_." The skeleton holds up his other hand, showing Marco passed out on the floor. "My new friend…such a poor soul. He came to only help. But now he suffers from a fate twisted by lies and confusion. See, the light hit him too. He was far away from the source of the light, but it bounced off something and hit him."

Jackie and Star are speechless, unsure what to even say at this point. "How can I fix this?" Star asks pleadingly. Pete just sighs, leaning on a nearby wall.

"You can't….not yet anyway. The boy is bound to that other human too. He is bound to _both_ you and her. His heart? Effectively split in half. Your half?" Pete darkly chuckles. "Is weak. He feels strongly for you but it's damaged. If it suffers more stress, it will break. _You do not want that_ , understand?"

"Y-Yes." Star says with sadness. Pete only sighs, feeling bad about being too blunt.

"I'm sorry for being harsh here princess. Truly. But I like the kid." He shrugs his shoulders. "You can fix this but be _very careful_ about what you say. Okay?" His voice is calmer, almost friendly.

"Dang…" Jackie darkly chuckles, reminding the two creatures she is still in the room. "You really starred this up princess. Let me see what I can do." Jackie pats her friend's back and walks off, leaving Star alone with Pete.

"Thank you for explaining…you going to tell Tom the truth?" Star says with fear.

"Nope." Pete shoves his hands away and walks off. "That is _your_ job. You can do it." Star looks up at the sky, seeing a bright red moon shining down.

"I will fix this…I need to." The princess says with resolve, walking back to her friends and loved ones


	8. Greater Understanding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm aware some of you guys think Marco's been a jerk toward Star and the some reason for that is explained here. Sorry about making him so unlikable but with my take on the character, his anger issues are brought out by the 'Blood Moon' and his emotions. From this point on, he should be more in-character with the canon series.

Marco was honestly shocked. Not from any specific emotion, but a storm of them. Sitting down on a nearby couch with his friends, the boy is trying to regain his composure after what he felt was a violent spiritual attack. "…Why did the Moon show up?" Marco asked softly to his friends, earning a look of uneasiness. "I mean, all I did was sing to a song."

"The Moon's effects are strange Marco." Tom admits, leaning forward and deep in thought. "I read up on it, so I know this stuff well." He coughs and looks directly into Marco's face. "The Moon pairs souls together, but what the opposing people _see_ well…it depends on the pair's desires."

"So what? Star wants to attack me or something?" Marco asks rhetorically, making everyone gasp. "Sorry…just, blurted something. Never mind." The boy is rubbing his head. "Ugh…my head hurts and I'm seeing red & blue still."

Janna just rubs Marco's back, trying to calm him down. She knew magic stuff was odd, as Janna is well aware of the Monster Arm incident. However, she _never_ expected her boyfriend to break down _that_ badly. "Easy Diaz. It will be cool dude."

"Y-Yeah." Pony Head says with a smirk, trying to hide her shock from Marco's freak-out. "You are a _bad_ boy that fights monsters all the time. Some stupid emotions can't keep you down."

"Wow…thanks guys." Marco forms an honest smile, before sighing. Folding his hands together, he still sees a faint image of Star near him. He closes his eyes and tries out something. _"Star? Can you hear me? This might be stupid, but this Moon DOES connect us despite me not getting hit by it. Another day, another magical mess we both got roped into. But…did you really attack me like that? Just…do you love me to? Answer when you can. I can wait, as I'm your best friend."_ Marco opens his eyes and a lone tear falls down, which no one but Janna notices.

Star is frozen in place, as she is back in the room standing alongside Jackie and Pete. She heard what Marco said in his mind and formed a smile. Jackie looks at the princess with a confused expression but Pete only chuckles. "Seems your bond is stronger than I thought." The skeleton lightly pats Star's shoulder. "You know what to do." He walks up to the group, leaving Star alone with Jackie.

"So…what is the plan?" Jackie asks with wonder, folding her arms. "Diaz just started dating Janna and I'm sure Tom would be _overjoyed_ to learn about your 'connection' with Marco."

"I don't know honestly." Star says bluntly, rubbing her neck. "But I will be his best friend. That is…all I can do right now honestly." Jackie smiles, pulling her princess friend into a warm hug. "Thanks."

"No problem." She pats Star's back and the duo join the main group, huddled around Marco sitting near the couch.

* * *

Star slowly comes up the couch, looking at the group with mild fear. "Is…everything okay?"

"Not really." Janna says bluntly. "Our Safe Kid had another attack and the stupid moons are acting up. Ugh…why is magic bugging us like this?"

"Because, it's always weird and wild with Star around." Jackie leans on the couch's edge. "Now that we have a demon prince, two magic moons and a cool skeleton guy…it just got even wilder."

Marco just froze….before bursting with laughter. He is holding on to his chest, slapping his knees hard. Tom and Pete soon join in, echoing his attempt to lighten the situation. "Wow…you know what? _That_ comment honestly made this whole mess worth it…somewhat. Thanks Jackie."

"No problem dude." Jackie says with a smirk. "So. What's your game plain Diaz?"

Pete gives Star and Tom a knowing look before turning to Marco. "Kid, take these." He hands Marco a pair of glasses. "Got these from visiting a strange TV world and 'spiced' them up. Can block out magical obstructions and junk." He puts them on and his head feels lighter, with the red and blue tinting gone.

"This is _much_ better. Thanks Pete." Marco holds out his hand, which Pete shakes.

"It's cool. Just don't lose them, got it?" The human boy only nods. "Great, so…me and my bro over there are going to study up on the Moon some more." He snaps his fingers and hands Marco a blue bone. "Numbers for Tom and myself on this. Ring us up if you flip out again."

"I _hope_ that won't happen but okay." Marco takes the odd bone, feeling the weight and power it holds. "I will try to look things up too. You have any books I can look at Tom?"

The demon snaps his fingers, summoning two books. "Give these a read and if you find anything, let me know." Marco only nods and holds the books tightly. The demon rubs his neck and places his hand on Marco's shoulder, looking directly at Star. "I won't be mad."

"But I didn't do anything man…" Marco says in confusion, but Tom means something else. Star's eyes grow wide, fully understanding what Tom is saying. She clenches her fists and grabs the demon, pulling him away from the group.

* * *

"What did you _mean_ by that?" Star asked in anger.

"Stop this game." Tom says bluntly. "I _know_ now. _You_ and Marco were bound by the Blood Moon. Just…" He punches a wall and his eye glows bright. "I…I can't be mad at him. He is a good guy and my friend…one I refuse to lose over petty romantic bullshit."

"You know me Tom." Star places her hand on Tom's shoulder, giving him a look that would send shivers down any man's spines. Her gaze was piercing, something her mother gives to her coldest foes. "I am a _rebel_ princess, do things _my_ way. That Moon? Is something _I don't care about_ Tom. I love you AND Marco. But who did I kiss at that dance? Who am I with right now? You." She lets go but never losing her gaze. "Just like Marco, I'm confused. That moon is bugging me too. It…pulled me into the game room, and I felt connected to Marco. But I felt myself attacking him. I…hated it. However…I will not lie to you. It felt nice."

"You want to…" Star pushes the demon against the wall and gives him a passionate kiss, one her very soul contains. Tom's eyes grew wide and he slowly wrapped his arms around her, embracing Star. They let go, with Star having a soft smile.

"No, we aren't breaking up." Star walks off, leaving Tom awestruck. The demon had his doubts of Star caring for him romantically, but he realized that just like Marco, his close princess friend just wants to be happy. He feels a new resolve, trying to solve this mystery of the moon not just for Marco, but to make his starship happy too.

* * *

Unknowing to the two, is Marco leaning on the side, smiling fondly. "Nice work bro." Tom flinches, nearly jumping out of his skin. "Happy Star isn't letting this Moon nonsense preventing you from being with her. Just…I'm sorry man." Janna comes up near the two, throwing her arm around Marco.

"I'm relieved to honestly." Toms says with a held breath. "I thought Starship didn't…but that kiss put down any fears of mine."

"So…this love triangle is on hold for now?" Janna says with a toothy smile. "I was hoping the four of us could have a double date in some odd dimension or something." Tom's face lit up, as if a lightbulb went off in his mind.

"That sounds fantastic. I like you Janna, got a smart one Diaz." The demon prince lightly punches Marco's arm. "Need a ride back home?"

"I'm covered." He holds out his dimensional scissors, making Tom snicker. "Star's dad gave them to me and said 'you have to earn them' at some point. Don't know what that means."

Tom just grew an impressed grin at this point. Completing the trials himself, the demon is more than happy to give his brother-in-arms a helping hand when the time comes. "Congrats. Take care of those."

"I will grab Jackie and we can head home boyfriend." Janna kisses Marco's cheek, making the boy smile as she walks off. He looks at Tom, giving his demon friend a look. One of deep understanding and thankfulness.

"Tom…thank you. This whole thing is…strange and odd. But, we will get through this." He holds out his fists. "We _are_ bros after all." Tom pounds his fist and two laugh. "Just do me a favor; _don't_ have the songs on shuffle next time we play Rock Band."

"I might burn that game into toast after tonight honestly." Tom says jokingly. Janna and Jackie return, having a smile on their face. "You ladies get home safely."

"We will demon boy." Jackie winks to the demon, making Janna laugh. "What, he _is_ cool and stuff."

"You might unleash the wrath of a vengeful butterfly if you keep that up." Janna jokes, making Marco and Tom sigh. "Speaking of the princess, where is she?"

"Right here guys." Star and Pony Head get close to the group. "I will join you guys on the way to Earth. Be careful returning to Saint O's Pony." The princess rubs her arms in sadness. "I know you hate that place."

"Nah girl, I run the joint now." Star's eyes grew wide. "Took it over with the help of Kelly and a cool demon chick named Tammy."

"WHAT?!" Tom shouts, making the entire group get startled. "My dad is going to _kill_ me now. Why did sis pull that off? Make sure she doesn't burn the place up."

"Don't worry hot head, I got this." She spits out her scissors and makes a portal. "Peace!" The horse heads through and meets up with her two sisters-in-arms. "Girls! We got some partying to do!"

* * *

A few hours passed, as Janna and Jackie got home safely. Star is sitting in Marco's room, waiting for him to begin talking. "Look…I'm sorry Star. The past few weeks have _not_ been good for you."

"Well…" Star looks down at the ground, kicking her feathered boots in the air. "We have been distant, hurt each other and feel confused."

"That sums things up, but I have more to say." Marco says with a smile on his face. "You are important to me and _are_ my best friend. I've been distant because…I didn't know my boundaries. The entire adventure through Quest Buy? I felt so odd, like my body was on fire just being around you. That _never_ happened before. But, sitting next to you now." He holds her hand. "I don't feel that anymore. Things…dare I say, are normal again between us."

"I wouldn't say that." Star rubs her neck. "I know the truth about the Blood Moon."

"Don't be mad, but I overheard that bit when you talked with Tom." Star grew an annoyed expression. "Guess I'm taking a bit after Janna."

"And here I had a whole speech planned out." Star huffed, making Marco chuckle. "Well…despite _you_ being a little sneaky sneak, I will say my piece."

"Go ahead, oh mighty princess of Mewni." Star smirked before regaining her composure.

"I do love you too Marco. Just…when we first meet, I felt a connection. Our movements were in sync and we were such a great team! Fighting monsters, going on adventures and causing trouble."

"Um… _you_ caused the trouble but okay." Both teens laughed before going silent. "I feel the same way and it isn't _were in sync_. We still _are_ Star. No dang Blood Moon is going to break apart our friendship. Even if our emotions are a clustered mess."

"Yeah." The duo hugged each other tightly. Letting go they feel a red light hit them. "Feel it?"

"Yep. At least we aren't talking in sync like last time." Marco joked.

"Don't jinx it." The two said at once. Both grew wide eyes before Star glared at Marco playfully. She pushed him down as she got up, folding her arms.

"That hurt." Both said in unison again, smirking at the feeling.

"Want some more?" Again they sang. Both teens got up and grinned like idiots. Marco cracked his knuckles and grabbed a pillow. Star summoned a fort with her wand.

"BATTLE STATIONS!" The duo shouted, having an all-out brawl to close out a very interesting day. Feelings are being understood but the Moons remain a mystery.

* * *

The morning was strange for Marco, as he was feeling something warm next to him. Trying to move his body, a wave of memories flooded his mind; his mental breakdown at Tom's place, vision being tinted blue and red, meeting Pete and having a pillow fight with Star. "…Don't tell me…" Marco says aloud, slowly turning his head. He finds himself and Star tangled up on the floor, surrounded by a fort of pillows. "Great…just, great. Star, wake up sleepy face." Marco pokes at Star's heart cheek.

"Five more minutes prince…" Marco just groans at the comment.

Marco grabs Star bridal style and gets up. She yelps and eyes shoot wide open. "Morning sleeping beauty. Um…this can't happen again. Okay?" Star looked around half dazed, her vision tainted bright red.

"Where am I?" Star asks tiredly.

"We had a pillow fight and I guess passed out on the floor together." Star's eyes dilate wide. "Yeah, that can't happen again."

"Can you put me down…please?" Star asks quietly. Marco realizes he still is holding her. Gently placing her on his bed, he rubs his neck, blushing madly. "Thanks…um, sorry."

"It's cool. We both are into each other, so…I don't know." He shrugs his shoulders. "Anyway, we should get some food. School starts late today."

"Really?!" Star says with joy, making Marco chuckle. "Don't tease me."

"I'm not!" Marco says after calming down slightly. He throws on his red hoodie over a grey tee-shirt. "We have a lot of extra time this morning for some reason. I think Jackie said it's related to the school getting an event set up."

"Oh, okay." She jumped off the bed and dashed toward the door. "Let's eat!"

"Slow down speedy." Marco joked, walking after his best friend. They head downstairs, surprised to see Mr. and Mrs. Diaz growing grins.

* * *

"Um…hey guys. We are just getting some food." Marco notices his parents watching himself and Star, almost studying the pair.

"Yeah." Star notices their faces. "Did we do something?"

" _We_?" Marco turns to Star, folding his arms. "I didn't do anything."

"You are my mess up twin. Anything I do, you have to deal with to." She winks, making Marco groan. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz only smile at the sight.

"Kids, can we have a family talk?" Mr. Diaz asks kindly. Marco and Star gulp and walk toward the couch. Mr. Diaz pulls up two chairs, with Mrs. Diaz handing everyone a cup of creamy coffee. "I know you two have been dealing with…issues lately. We wanted to check up on you."

"Oh…" Marco sighs and rubs his eyes, but notices glasses missing. "My glasses?! Where are they?"

"Oh! Here." Star gave them to Marco, with the boy throwing them on quickly. "I held on to them before the pillow fight started. I know they are important. Saw red and blue this morning still?"

Marco sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Yep, so good thing you found them. They _do_ look good, so Pete has style." The two turn to Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, having confused faces. "It's a very long story, so I will start from the beginning." Marco stands up and coughs. "Star was invited to a ball by her ex-boyfriend and I was jealous…for reasons you both know. This ball had something called 'The Blood Moon', which pairs two souls together."

Star sighs and joins in. "I danced under its light with Tom and we officially started dating after that…but the truth, was that Marco and I were hit fully by its light. So, we are bound under the Moon. Um…you want to tag in now?"

"I was honestly wondering how it affected you but okay." Marco rubs his neck, turning to his worried parents. "So basically, the moon triggered my anger problems, feeding on my unstable emotions for Star. It got to a braking point…three times. But! I got good news." The boy holds out his hand, beginning to count down. "I found a way to deal with the Moon's effects thanks to these glasses, I'm going to look into it with the help of my friends and…I have a girlfriend now!"

"Really?!" Mr. and Mrs. Diaz shouts in unison.

"You…are shocked?" Marco said in annoyance.

"I knew my Mio would find a lucky lady. Is it that Janna girl you used to be friends with?"

"Yep." Marco answered with a toothy smile. "We just started two days ago and I'm exicted." Mr. Diaz folds his arms, making Marco sigh. "I _know_ the rules Dad. Trust me, I will be good."

"Rules?" Star asks in confusion. Marco pulls out a list, handing it to Star. "Wait…you have to follow these when dating?"

Mr. Diaz chuckles "I want my son to be respectful towards lucky woman. And I think he doesn't mind, _right son_?"

"I don't mind dad." Marco remembers when he showed it to Janna, making her fall on the floor laughing. Her burning it into flames with her lighter and stepping on the ashes made Marco laugh madly. Looking back on the recent memory makes the boy chuckle to himself. He turns to his mother, who has a proud smile on her face. "So yeah, things are better now."

"Why are you wearing glasses dear?" Mrs. Diaz asks, making Marco rubs his neck. "I know you have perfect vision. Need us to call the eye doctor?"

"It's the Blood Moon causing that." Star answered, feeling guilty. "After Marco's recent breakdown, the light cause him to see red and blue. Those glasses cancel the effect, but I'm working on something!" Star stood up proudly, folding her arms with a smirk. "This princess will help her bestie."

"I know Estrella." Marco answers sheepishly, making the princess smile honestly. Mrs. Diaz looks between the two teens, clearly telling that they are closer than ever before. "So, can we eat our food now? School is starting late but I want to get there early."

"Sure thing sweeties." Mrs. Diaz rubs Marco and Star's heads before leaving. Mr. Diaz just nods to Marco, leaving the two alone to eat some cereal.

* * *

The Diaz's are sitting in the kitchen, intently watching their two teens chatting while eating food. Mr. Diaz feels a sense of relief, as he is happy the two are okay. He knows Marco has major emotional problems, as even before being aggressive as a kid, he had issue talking with others. But seeing him grow up, a sense of pride overwhelms the father seeing his young man grew up so fast.

Mrs. Diaz just feels happy, as despite hearing Marco and Star talk about their current relationships, she _knows_ they love one another. "Want to bet when they will start dating dear?"

"I give it two months." Mr. Diaz says in rapid response. "Just…look at them."

"I say one month." She folds her arms and has a prideful smirk. "She will go after him first."

"You're on." They shake hands. "But…do you think things will be okay for Marco?"

Mrs. Diaz rubs her forehead, memories of her son getting into fights growing up flooding her mind. "I think so. He grew to control his emotions. If they said was true, his recent anger and emotional issues coming out again is linked to that moon. I have faith they will fix their problem."

"To think our Mio broke into a ball to protect the princess." Mr. Diaz wipes a tear away. "Reminds me when I used to spy on your boyfriend when we were teens."

" _Really_ now dear." She grows a playful smirk, but Mr. Diaz is well aware of the darkness behind it. He backs up slowly. "What's wrong? I won't do anything. _Yet_."

"Help." Mr. Diaz races upstairs, with Mrs. Diaz after him. Marco and Star look at the sight in utter confusion.

"Um…okay then." Marco says deadpan. Star just laughs and resumes eating her food.

* * *

A few minutes pass and Star is in her room getting ready for a new day. She ponders what dress to wear, but soon decides on her squid dress. Pleased with her look, she throws her backpack on but a piece of paper falls down. Picking it up, she reads it. A frown forms on her face, realizing what it is; the letter Marco wrote her after the Blood Moon Ball. "Can't believe all this confused emotional stuff started with that Moon…"

"Moon you say?" Star jumps from surprise, noticing Glossaryck appear in front of her. "Seems like you got that solved princess…but the boy is dealing with a lot."

"I know but Marco is getting better." She folds her arms, shooting Glossaryck an annoyed glare. "I'm going to fix it."'

" _How_ exactly?" The blue man raises an eyebrow. "Both of you like one another but nothing is happening."

"We want to date the people we are with." Star's gaze narrows. "Any _issue_ with that Glossaryck of Terms?" The blue man backs up slightly, seeing his past student for a brief moment. He was mostly shocked by how Star said his name more than anything. Normally it's a nickname or just a casual saying. But his full name being said to him? That surprised the blue magic man.

"No problem at all my princess. I bid you a-due." He vanished and warped into the living room, spotting Marco on his phone.

* * *

" _Hey Troublemaker. Had a good sleep?"_

" _I'm fine Safe Kid. You and Star did anything? I wouldn't want to…punish you or anything."_

" _I didn't do anything Janna. And isn't it too soon for that?"_

" _You naughty little boy. I gotta fix that spunk."_

" _Okay, okay. But I'm sorry for freaking out last night. Still having my vision tinted."_

" _Still got the shades?"_

" _Yeah. Really gotta thank Pete for that."_

" _That guy is sick. Reminds me of that game I like a lot."_

" _YOU like that game?! I'm sure you killed everything…"_

" _Guilty as charged. Hahaha!"_

" _Okay calm down Miss Kruger. You know why school is starting late today?"_

" _Oh, I think you and Star will LOVE it."_

"… _I have a bad feeling."_

" _You don't trust your loving and supportive girlfriend?"_

" _I trust you with my life Janna."_

"…"

" _What? I'm serious."_

" _Wow…um. Impressive. You're a good one."_

" _Want to know something funny? My dad mentioned the list."_

" _You mean the thing I burned into ash?! AH! Was fun dancing on that."_

" _You're nuts. But the good kind of nuts."_

" _I can kick yours if you want."_

"… _I'm going to go now before I feel horrified. See you at school Troublemaker."_

" _I'm awaiting our make out session in a locker for three hours."_

" _Please tell me you're joking."_

"…"

" _Sigh."_

* * *

Marco leans back on his couch, smiling contently. "Hey kid." That smile soon drops hearing the sound of a blue man. "Wow, you are tainted."

"Um…what?" Marco answers in confusion.

"You have magic in you. How, I don't know. But kid, control your temper." Glossaryck looks into Marco's eyes, seeing red and blue swelling like a hurricane. "This is bad."

"Tell me about it. Still working out the whole thing with the Blood Moon. Have answers?" He shrugs his shoulders and sits on Marco's head. "…Cozy?"

"Soft hair kid. Glad you and the princess sorted things out." His voice was honest for once, at least to Marco.

"You really care about us?" The human asks honestly, making the blue man nod. "Well…we both like each other and are best friends. Sorting out our emotions is important."

"Want to be the future king of Mewni boy?" Glossaryck teases, making Marco start swatting him away. "Kidding! So…"

Marco knows what he wants, making the boy rub his temples. "Give me a moment…stupid blue man…teasing me like that…having a dumb glowing rock in his head…" As he mumbles insults, Star walks down the stairs holding two backpacks.

"MARCO! Got your stuff!" She tosses him the backpack, which he catches with his free arm. She spots him passing the blue man a pudding cup, making her sigh. "You bugged us just for some pudding?"

"Bingo!" He vanishes, leaving the two teens sighing in annoyance. They walk off but Glossaryck watches from afar.

* * *

"Those two…fate has plans for them. I know it. But…best not to interfere. Let things play out, you know, for fun!" He makes an orb appear before him, with two shadows dancing under a red light moving within it. "That boy will do good things…I hope at least." The shadows vanish, leaving Glossaryck alone in the living room. He suddenly feels something ringing in his head. "Oh boy, a call." The blue man sits on the couch, pressing his gem. A portal appears before him showing Moon Butterfly.

Moon is worried about her daughter and the boy that is staying with her, fully aware of what her husband told her days ago. But hearing that Marco is getting better, she just wanted some reassurance. Using her innate magic, she makes a portal appear and sees her former teacher in front of it. "Hello Glossaryck. How are the kids doing?"

"I'm not a babysitter Moon." He folds his arms in fake annoyance. "But they are getting better. Want to know _why_ they are having issues?"

"Sure." She wonders what the _real_ reason is behind everything happening to the two teens.

"The Blood Moon." Moon's face grows pale but soon turns into anger. "Easy there. Star didn't know about the thing…neither did the boy. Funny how some confusion can taint people."

"So are they okay?" She asks with worry within her voice.

"Yes, both know what to do. The funny part?"

"What is funny about this situation? My daughter broke the heart of a kind young man. I'm very annoyed with her." Moon honestly feels this, as she feels prideful over Marco. The boy despite not having magic talent, is a warrior. If her husband is so fond of him, the queen figures she should be too.

"She loves him too." Glossaryck says this with a honest smile. "But they aren't doing anything. Dating other people; the boy with a human and the princess with a demon prince."

"Tom…" Moon says with sadness. "That young man had a rough time communicating with the nobles."

"Yes, just like your special lizard…" Moon's face was in pure rage, making Glossaryck smirk. "Ah, still care for the monster do we?"

"Don't test my patience." Moon said with malice in her voice. Glossaryck shut up, listening to his queen's words. "Sorry…brought up bitter memories."

"Yes…I know. I liked the kid too." He rubs his neck. "Listen, Marco isn't like him. I mean, he _is_ like him, but fate will be kinder." The blue man pats his chest. "I kind of know these things. Or not."

"You know I hate your riddles." Moon smirks somewhat before morphing into a neutral expression.

"Like mother, like daughter." The blue man shoves some pudding in his mouth. "My stories are on, so bye." The portal vanishes, making Moon feel both relief and mild annoyance. Glossaryck is a wise being with immense power…but that doesn't stop him from getting on the queens nerves.

"Riddles upon riddles…wonder how my daughter puts up with him." She leans back in her throne, looking out a nearby window. "Love…such a powerful emotion. One that can empower and crush all at once. Hope Star knows this." Resuming her rule, she focuses ahead, ready to continue her day.


	9. The Topic of 'Love'

Marco and Star walked to school, with the duo acting like nothing happened. Sure, they both are well aware of things being different. With new truths discovered, an understanding formed and a friendship stronger than ever; the duo feels a powerful bond between them. Unaware to the two friends, was one beanie clad girl sneaking up on them. Marco however, had a sneaking feeling.

"I'm going to get you boyfriend…" Janna hissed playfully, laughing into a tackle. However, Marco just grabbed her into a hug, kissing her cheek. Letting Janna go, her face was completely flustered from both shame and joy. "Y-You cheater."

"What?" He folded his arms with amusement. "I bested the master thief and sneak."

"Oh…you  _have no_ idea what this started Diaz." Janna grew a dangerous smirk, which Marco shot right back. The two stayed like this for a moment, before bursting into laughter. "Seriously though, good reflexes."

"Learned from the best." Star elbowed Marco, growing a playful glare. "Oh, and I learned  _a few_ things from being blasted with Narwhals and other spells. Just a few things though."

" _Really_ now?" Star folds her arms with a dangerous smile. "Why don't we test Marco's running skills Janna? You know…could be fun."

Janna laughs madly before walking right next to Star, throwing her arm around the princess. "Oh, this is going to be a  _wonderful_ relationship princess. I'm not sharing him with you once we catch him."

"Really?" Star mockingly teases. "Okay. The winner gets to tackle him into a hug."

Marco notices the  _look_  on his friend's faces, gulping with intense fear. "So…do I have a head start?"

Janna just looks at Marco, kissing his cheek. "Not running yet? You are wasting your head start." At that very moment, the human boy ran at blistering speeds, with Star and Janna chasing after him. With a hyperactive princess shooting various spells across the sidewalk while Janna throwing various objects from her backpack, Marco felt intense danger behind him. "They  _cannot_ catch me."

* * *

"Can't believe you two caught me…" Marco was leaning near his locker, folding his arms in annoyance.

"When you have a trickster and a magical princess after you, things can get  _wild_." Marco rubs his forehead. Janna only threw her arms around Marco, giving him an honest smile. "But you had fun, I can see that look."

"Yeah…it was fun." Star only smiled contently, seeing such a confident side of Marco come out. Marco notices Star looking, shooting a smile back. "You put up a really good chase. I noticed the Narwhals being a bit small though. New spell?"

Star waved her hand. "Nay, just my 'mini' Narwhal blast. Used it on Tom  _a lot_ of times when we first dated. Speaking of the demon…should he be around for that thing?"

Janna only grinned, making Marco confused. "That sounds wonderful princess. Hot Head might like to learn a bit about love."

"Love?" Marco scratches his head.

"Just come on you two." Star and Marco followed Janna, both unaware of what they would see next. Janna recalls talking with Jackie on the way home last night.

* * *

" _So girl, dem moons am I right?" Janna joked, lightly punching Jackie in her arm._

" _I don't know…feel bad for the two of them. You KNOW Star and Marco were the only ones hit by that Moon, right?" Janna shook somewhat before regaining composure. "Yeah, was with Star when Pete explained everything."_

" _Damn…" Janna held on to her necklace tight. "Guess Marco will…"_

" _Nope. He's going to stick with you like glue Janna." Jackie said with confidence._

" _What makes you say that?" Janna said with doubt._

" _Star wants to be with Tom. Just like Marco wants to be with you." Janna only looked confused at this point. "Okay girl, you know how, like, you can love two people a lot?"_

" _I guess…" Janna answered unsurely._

" _Well, that is what Marco and Star are dealing with right now. They love one another, but they love other people a lot too." Jackie playfully poked Janna's chest. "Marco loves YOU a lot. Remember, you know him far longer than Star does. And don't tell me he didn't feel the spark between your first kiss with him."_

" _Yeah…" Janna touched her lips, remembering the sensation. "But I'm confused about his breakdown."_

" _I wouldn't worry." Jackie threw herself down on the couch, patting an empty cushion. Janna sat next to her, laying her head on Jackie's shoulders. "Marco's strong and those magic dudes are looking into it. Like that skeleton guy…"_

" _Thought you liked demon boy." Janna grinned, earning a light punch from Jackie._

" _I like a lot of dudes."_

" _I know you looooooove Marco." Jackie blushed with Janna laughing like a hyena._

" _Gee…thank you for being such a good friend Janna." Jackie rolled her eyes, with Janna soon patting her friends back. "I know you didn't mean anything bad by that. Just…geez."_

" _It's cool. So…what about that paper thing you working on?" Jackie only groaned in response, sinking into the couch._

" _See…I'm failing English and I needed to get extra credit. So, my teacher offered an extra credit project. I took it…but he wants me to read it in front of everyone as part of the 'Spirit Day' thing tomorrow."_

" _That sucks. Marco, Star and I could do something to make that get scrapped." Jackie only laughed, wiping a tear away._

" _Thanks but no thanks." She pats her friend's head. "Good effort though. I need the grade. Topic I picked? Love." Jackie grinned madly, folding her arms and holding her head highly. "Annnnd I had great test subjects to study from."_

" _So…you watched this current drama cycle like some sappy drama or a crappy fan-fiction story…just so you can write your paper?" Jackie shrugged her shoulders, making Janna laugh loudly. "Man, Marco is going to kill us."_

* * *

Janna lead Marco & Star to the auditorium, with Tom & Pete coming out of a nearby portal. The five teenagers sat down in the same row, with Star & Tom and Marco & Janna sitting together. Pete was in the middle, throwing his arms around Tom and Marco. "Hey dudes. Like the shades Marco?"

"They work great, thanks again man." Pete and Marco fist bump before the human turns to Tom. "I don't know what to expect from this thing, but Jackie is part of it. Janna said Star and I would  _love_ this…" The human turns to Janna, with his girlfriend having a devilish smile. "Please tell me…is Jackie going to say something that will scar us for life?"

"Nah. Just…watch." Janna leans on Marco's shoulder, drawing circles on his chest. Star is holding Tom's hand, having a content smile. The demon notices this and leans on her shoulder.

"Hey Starship, you feeling okay?" Star only shoots a beaming smile back.

"Never better." She kisses his cheek. "Got everything sorted out with my emotions, got a new understanding on junk and we are all happy."

Tom only laughs. "I'm looking up about the Blood Moon with Pete but found nothing yet."

"Reeeelaaaaax Tom." Star makes a hand wave. "You promised to look into it last night. Don't pressure yourself too much. We got this."

"Yeah." Tom just looked at Pete, with the two creatures giving one another relieved expressions. Both had a bad sleep, worried about their friends. Seeing Star and Marco act happier than ever, has Tom feeling overjoyed. Pete meanwhile is really shocked to see both halves of Marco's heart glowing vividly blue and red. It's as if, he got an understanding of his emotions.

"Good work Marco." Pete only punches his arm lightly.

"Um…thanks man. But I didn't do anything." The skeleton only chuckles before hiding his hands. A loud noise comes from the stage, getting the groups attention. Janna rubs her hands and glees.

"Here we go…"

* * *

Jackie is standing in front of the student body, silently cursing herself for agreeing to be a part of this 'spirit day' event. Putting on a smile, she coughs loudly. "Hello everyone! Today is spirit day for Echo Creek and I had the  _honor_ of being a speaker of a topic of my choosing." Jackie begins pacing around the stage, having a confident grin. "Mmm…what topic. I'm sure many know I'm friends with a lot of you dudes."

Marco begins sweating. "Please don't say my name…please don't say my name…"

"Well…one close friend of mine has been dealing with a  _lot_ of romantic tension, so I want to talk about that. Just to give him some advice." Everyone laughs loudly in the room except Marco, with the boy trying to hide within his hoodie. Jackie coughs before speaking again, starting her long speech.

_**Love is a powerful emotion that binds people together. I mean, yeah. You have connections with family and friends. But pure love? That is something really hard to nail down. Thankfully, I'm your girl for that. Today, I will explain what I feel are three different 'kinds' of love.** _

_**The first kind is one of attraction, as when you see a face…well, what you REALLY see is a person's mask. We all wear them, having all kinds of different shapes and sizes. But we wear them to hide our true self. If someone is attracted to the mask, they pine over it for a long time. Sometimes even ten years!** _

_**But when they take off that mask, the real relationship can begin. Does the love remain? Or do the two just become good friends? Regardless, falling for a mask is the first step of a relationship, romantic or otherwise. There is something called pure love, which I will touch on next kiddos.** _

_**True love is something that naturally happens between people, just from simply hanging out and being buds. Sometimes, even best buds. They might not realize it but EVERYONE knows they like one another. But that is just me talking.** _

_**Anyway, this love starts from a simple hug and slowly morphs into something stronger overtime. It can be tested by all kinds of crazy junk. Even magical moons! But in the end, if they can remain just friends, they will always have that spark. I know one girl that is overjoyed to be part of this love!** _

_**But what about the third kind? Oh, I hate this one sadly. It's destined love, where people are meant to be together by fate or some other kind of junk. I mean, sure. We all saw the magical princess movies growing up with a prince charming sweeps us lucky ladies off our feet. But really, does anyone want that? NO!** _

_**We want dudes that challenge us and fate itself is a problem for that. It make something so personal…feel forced. Love should never be forced, it should be something both guys and gals want. I am studying a specific study currently regarding destined loved and I'm sure my two buds will fight it like they always do with monsters and stuff.** _

_**So to wrap up love…it's something we all experience. Whenever you fall under one of those three types or some other kind I didn't mention, awesome! But don't let love confuse your other emotions. It can bring out the best and worst in a person to be honest. However…that makes taming the emotion all the more powerful.** _

_**So…peace dudes and happy spirit day!** _

* * *

Marco is speechless, completely awestruck with how Jackie nailed everything that has been happening to him the past few days. He slowly stands up, clapping softly. Tears of pride and joy come down his face, with Janna and Star soon clapping next. Tom just smirks while Pete looks at the skater girl on stage, impressed with how intelligent she seems to him.

Jackie though? Her eyes were locked on Marco the entire speech. She was thinking about his problems for the past few weeks and threw all of that into the speech. Seeing the boy she cares for crying tears of joy and being the first to applaud makes her heart smile. The entire auditorium soon cheers and Jackie makes a mock bow.

"Thank you my peps! Now, have fun with spirit day…want to get off stage now." Jackie jumps off the stage, ignoring the teachers yelling at her to get back on. Star, Marco, Janna, Tom and Pete met up with Jackie in the hallway.

"Wow…that was…well…awesome." Marco says still shocked. "…You talked about us, didn't you?"

"Didn't get the hints lover boy?" Janna teases, lightly punching Marco's arm. "But girl, that was great. I'm sure John Keets was spiritually watching you the entire time."

"Yeah…good stuff human." Pete says calmly, with Jackie folding her arms amused.

Star only stood still, rubbing her arm. Not sure how she should respond, as Jackie more or less spilled the entire story about Marco's problems to the school. "…Was that a good idea? Now everyone knows."

"I wouldn't worry." Jackie wand waves it off, putting her hand on Star's shoulder. "And if anyone asks? You have that wand thing to fend them off."

Tom laughs slightly, getting Jackie's attention. "Oh Starship knows some great spells to push people back. Still mastered that zombie summoning spell?"

"Zombie summoning?!" Marco and Janna shout in unison, both with very different emotions; the former fear and the latter utter excitement.

"Yeah…don't tell Mom." Star answers quietly. Janna only grins, throwing her arm around the magical princess. "We aren't using the spell today Janna."

"I know…maybe  _later_?" The two girls giggled. This leaves the group joyful, looking forward to a fun day after much stress and emotional trauma.

* * *

School is always was an odd place for Marco Diaz, but with Star Butterfly blasting spells left and right, it's always exciting to say the least. But now that he is dating the school's trademark troublemaker? Things just got more exciting, to put it bluntly. Sitting in class, their English teacher slowly walks into the class, not long after the spirit day event happened. She wore a black skirt and dress shirt, having a warm inviting smile.

"Hello students and happy spirit day! I want to thank Jackie Lyn Thomas for such a wonderful speech." Everyone in the room clapped with Jackie mumbling something. "Miss Thomas, would you like to share some inspiration for such a powerful speech?"

Jackie only laughed at this point, confusing the class. Star and Marco shared a worried glance with one another while Janna was blowing some bubble gum. "Teach, I just wrote it based on my life experiences. I know  _a lot_ of people after all…"

"So was it about Marco and Star?!" One male student shouted, making the entire room silent. It's as if the student held a grenade, being ready on a moment's notice to pull the pin, making an explosion. Marco at this point was getting annoyed, rubbing the bridge between his glasses. Star only shook slightly, not sure how to respond.

"Just look at them!" One female student echoed. "They look  _soooo_ nervous."

"Maybe they are dating…."

"Oh come on, why would a princess love  _him_?"

Marco just stood up, clenching his fists tightly at this point. That last comment got under his skin, making his vision tint blood red. "Teacher, I can say my piece before class starts? As I'm sure no one will  _ **shut up**_ until some answers are shared."

The teacher looked at the boy, clearly telling the controlled anger and rage bubbling up within him. "Of course Marco. You may speak."

Marco got up and stood up, getting everyone's attention. He grabbed Janna's hand, holding it tightly, surprising the beanie clad girl. "Yes, I do like Star Butterfly. But we both came to an understanding and are still best friends. She is dating a powerful demon named Thomas that  _ **can burn you into piles of ash**_. So, any guys in the room that feel like hitting on my best friend? Watch out." The hooded boy darkly chuckled. "But I love another person, just as strongly as my best friend." Marco looks fondly at Janna, making the girl blush slightly. "Janna has been my close friend for years and recently…have decide to give the dating game a shot. I'm sure this troublemaker will put this bad boy to the test, so I'm excited about what us dating will bring. Now…this is the  _last_ time I want to hear  _ **anything**_ about my feelings from you, my peers. I have some…vivid anger issues, so I would advise you don't test me."

The entire room was silent, taking in Marco's words. Star was shocked at how direct Marco handled the situation while Janna felt pride oozing out of Marco. The boy felt confident with his emotions and feelings; hearing he loved her just as much compared to Star made Janna's heart melt slightly. She grinned and stood up, joining in on the fun. "Yeah, so my boyfriend here put you all in your places. So…can it." Janna kissed Marco's cheek, earning some 'awes' and 'damns' from the class. Star only shook her head from amusement, snickering slightly. Marco sighed and released a held breath.

"So…that is all everyone. Sorry for interrupting the class teacher." The teacher only smiled, happy her safe student is showing some backbone. She always saw Marco as the quiet but intentive student in the classroom. Seeing him speak out his mind like this had her impressed.

"That is fine. You two can sit down now." Janna and Marco got back in their seats. "Now, we can move on to our lesson for today." The teacher read out instructions for a writing assignment but on female student was very pleased. Jackie looked over to Marco, Star and Janna; seeing her friends nip their romantic stuff in the bud had her honestly impressed.

"Good job safe kid." Jackie says softly before getting to work on the assignment.

* * *

"So…that was something." Marco says causally, throwing his arm around Janna as he walks through the hallway. Star and Jackie joined them, going over what happened last class. "Jackie…did you  _know_ this would happen?"

"…Maybe." The skater girl says with a mild grin, making Marco sigh. "But look at  _you_  dude. You put those chumps in place." She lightly punched his arm. "Great work man."

"Thanks Jackie." Marco turned to Star, who was having a beaming smile. "Seems you didn't mind those things slipping out to the school."

"Hey, I got  _this_  don't I?" She held up her wand, glowing pink slightly. "I could blast anyone that dares bother me. And…why did you mention Tom?" Star folded her arms, huffing slightly. "He really wouldn't do that…"

"Oh he would." Marco and Janna say in unison before laughing. Star only shook her head at this point, getting something out of her locker. Janna just remembered something, growing a devilish grin.

"Boyfriend? Can I see your locker for a sec?" Janna asks, which Marco simply shurgs at. She opens the locker with ease and takes off a hidden door. "Ah, still here."

"Wait a moment…" Marco tries to process something. "You…had a secret area in my  _locker_?! I mean, I know you sneak into my house and…" The boy only groaned at this point, lightly hitting his head on a nearby locker. "I got nothing. Just…you have your space if you need it, okay?"

"That is  _so_ sweet bad boy." She kissed Marco's cheek, making the boy smile as she takes out some books and supplies. "I need the extra space."

"Just please…don't hide any fireworks or bombs in there." Janna's eyes glint slightly, making the boy groan inwardly. "Never mind." He threw his arms around her. "So…can I have a place for my stuff in your locker?"

Star only laughed, getting the groups attention. "You know? You two are priceless together." Marco only smiled at the comment, with Janna smirking slightly. Jackie folded her arms in amusement and leaned on a wall.

"I agree girl." Jackie shoot a playful smile at the duo. "Just don't get into trouble you two."

"I won't mom." Janna joked, making Jackie roll her eyes. She let go of Marco and walked with Jackie. "See you around boyfriend." She winked as she left. Marco just had a toothy smile on his face, feeling quite happy.

"…You never had a girlfriend before, haven't you Marco?" Star asks seriously, making Marco nod, snapping out of his amused state. "No  _wonder_ why you are acting so cute right now."

"At least you aren't teasing me about it like Tom did." Marco shoved his hands into his hoodie. "But yeah, I'm having a lot of fun so far."

The princess threw her arm around her best friend. "If you need pointers talking to girls, let me know. I'm a master matchmaker." Star winked, making Marco snicker somewhat. "Whaaaat?"

"Remember when you tried to help me talk with Jackie when I was stupid?" Marco asks honestly, making Star laugh. "Yeah, the time got frozen in place for a while. So I'm good."

"Okay  _safe kid_ , I won't offer my amazing advice." Star playfully huffed in fake annoyance. "But…what should I do for my first date with Tom?"

Marco looked at Star in utter confusion, making Star rub her arms. "I know it's…"

"Um, you  _dated_ the guy. Don't you know what he likes to do?" Star sighed, leaning on a nearby wall. "Oh, I get it. Well…he likes to play video games, seems to be into all kinds of music and is fun to talk with."

"But what would be a good  _date_  idea?" Marco just laughed, making Star pout in annoyance.

"Seriously? You  _know_ what to do." Star stared at her best friend blankly, making Marco rub his forehead. "Take him on an adventure."

"OH! Wait…that is our thing though." Star says deflated.

"Well…" Marco knows the confused feelings between himself and Star…but he also knows his best friend loves Tom a lot. "Look, Tom is your boyfriend. If you take him on an adventure, it's cool. I mean, Tom is a cool guy." Star just rubs her arm, feeling something. Marco closes his eyes.  _"I won't be upset Star. We might have strong feelings for one another, but we are dating other people. It will be perfectly okay to do new things we normally don't do. That is part of the adventures of dating! Um…I think at least. Please, just…don't let your feelings prevent you from being happy. Take Tom on a dimensional adventure or two._ " Marco opens his eyes, looking at his best friend.

Star smiles and closed her eyes.  _"Okay…thanks for the answer bestie."_  The duo walk together in silence, content with their little talk.

* * *

On the other side of the school, we see Jackie and Janna walk to their next class. Janna is just overjoyed, as not only is she happy her friend had a killer speech, but also from the fact Marco admitted publically he loved her just as much as he loves Star. Jackie notices and throws her arm around Janna.

"Girl, you look as if you won gold." Janna smirks at Jackie's comment.

"Sorta did to be honest. Can't believe Marco…"

Jackie only smiled, patting Janna's shoulders. "He is a good kid." The two girls freeze, growing bitter expressions on their face. Spotting the local school jerk Brittney Wong, they feel anger come over them. "Oh great…here comes that damn…"

"Cool it Hailstorm. I got this." Janna cracks her knuckles and stands tall. Brittney and a few other girls walk behind her, feeling on top of the world. In their mind, the school belongs to them, at least Brittney feels this way. She stops on front of Janna and Jackie, growing a disgusted face. "Hey Queen B. Sup."

"Oh look…it's that creepy girl." She backs off in disgust. "Don't let your creepy crap touch me."

"Why would I stain your puke colored clothing with my lovely spiders?" Janna joked, having a sly grin on her face.

"At least I don't have a cheating boyfriend loser face…" Janna feels anger swell up insider her, with her vision tinting midnight blue. Jackie slowly walks up, being ready to calm down an angry Janna. Brittney grows amused, spotting Janna losing her cool. "Did I strike a nerve?"

"You shut the fuck up about Marco." Janna hissed. "He is a good kid and he is  _ **mine**_ , you hear me?"

"Thought he was Butterface's…" Janna growled and slowly walked closer. "Oh, you are so stupid."

"Shut up." Janna clenched her fists tighter, with Jackie grabbing her arm.

"…It's not worth it. You know Star and Marco are good people." Jackie says softly, making Janna calm down somewhat.

"You, loser skater girl. Keep your tramp under control." Brittany says bluntly, but Jackie laughed.

"You know what? How about you shut up, okay?" Jackie said with rage seeping through her pours.

Everyone was silent, but Brittany laughed loudly. "That loser boy will always be wrapped around Butterface's finger and you two losers should realize that."

"Shut. Up." Janna grabbed her by the collar of her dress and slammed her against the wall.

"Face it loser, he will always be hers. Why kid yourself? That speech your friend over there made was all about them." Jackie grew angry at this point and walked closer toward the two.

"I didn't mention any  _names_ you…" Jackie didn't finish, but Brittany already knew the next word.

"But you implied them. No one in this school is stupid." She turned to Janna, who had an iron grip on her collar and a rage-induced look. "Know your place dog."

"This dog will rip you to fucking pieces…you waste of life!" Janna closed her eyes and tried punching her…but something stopped her. She looked around, spotting Marco next to her in a blue plane. "Marco?"

Spirit Marco walked up to Janna and hugged her. "Listen…I thought I made myself clear before?"

"Yeah but…" Marco kisses her cheek.

"We can love more than one person. But don't let jerks unleash your anger. You know how…bad it can get." He rubbed his arm, making Janna sigh.

"Sorry…"

"It's fine. Just remind me not to tick you off." The two laughed before Marco vanished. Janna opened her eyes, spotting a big dent mark on a locker. She let Brittany go and gave her a look of pure contempt.

"Don't mess with me or my friends like that again.  _ **Got it?**_ " The cheerleader only nodded and ran off. The other girls were shaking in fear, making Janna sigh. "I won't hurt you…but keep your friend in check." They only nodded, walking off slowly.

"Janna…" Jackie put her hand on Janna's shoulder.

"I'm okay. Marco calmed me down." Janna smiled and walked ahead, with Jackie looking back on the dent mark. It glowed blue faintly, but Jackie thought she was seeing things for a moment.


	10. Lunch Time with Skeletons

Jackie felt conflicted, as she feels responsible for her friend almost  _killing_  a jerk. She watched her close friend, normally maintaining her cool, almost punch Brittney rivght through her face. The skater girl still is thinking back on the large glowing dent mark Janna left in a locker… While Jackie was deep in thought during their art class, Janna just looked at her friend and felt bad.

'I really scared Jackie…' Janna tells herself, rubbing her arm with a free hand. She is trying to paint something but it appears to be two different moons. 'I hate how these stupid things are messing with us…but they  _do_ look sick.' Janna looked back at Jackie, trying to paint something but continually sighing. She just gets back to doing her work until the bell rings and everyone begins darting out of the room.

Jackie walks ahead, trying to think about something but soon gets surprised by Janna. "Hey girl. You was in space during art class."

"Just…feel bad you know?" Jackie rubs her neck, lightly brushing her blue streak mark. "You and Marco got bothered from my speech and…I'm sorry girl."

"It's fine." Janna throws her arm around Jackie. "I know you meant well. Besides…we can have fun pranking those jerks later."

Jackie only smirks and shakes her head. "You should get your boyfriend to help. Didn't you tell me how Marco had a 'bad boy' side when he was little?" Janna only grew a stupid toothy smile at this comment. "Oh boy…"

* * *

Marco and Star walk toward the lunch room but are stopped by Ferg and Alfonzo, folding their arms for some reason. The two boys want to know what is going on with Marco, as they noticed his glasses and have some questions. "Guys? You okay? We are just going to lunch and…" Marco says calmly but Ferg holds up his large hand.

"What is up between you two?" Ferg asks, pointing his fingers between Star and Marco. "You aren't dating but you are  _very_ close."

"So what?" Marco hissed, marching closer to Ferg. "I can't be friendly with my best friend? We got our emotional stuff sorted out and I'm dating Janna. So what is the problem?"

"N-Nothing bro!" Alfonzo got in-between the two boys, giving Ferg a look. "We was just worried is all."

"Oh…okay." Marco sighs with regret. "Sorry for getting in your face Ferg."

Star looks over the scene and thinks of something. Placing her hand on Marco's shoulder, she gives it a tight squeeze and smiles. "Guys, we are still best buds and everything is great! Don't worry about Marco."

"You sure?" Alfonzo says with a glare that makes Star walk back a bit. "You likely don't know this but…" He looks around, knowing he can finish his thought. "…Marco has anger issues and he worked on them. I really don't want him to lash out against anyone."

"Guys?" Marco says, getting their attention. "I…kinda let my anger issues out already. Star is well aware of it sadly."

"Damn." Both boys say in unison. Marco walks ahead to the lunch room, with Star, Ferg and Alfonzo following.

* * *

They sit down at their table and get their food ready. Star looks at her two friends and gives Marco a look before closing her eyes.

' _So, are waiting for Jackie & Janna to show up? Or do you want to explain his whole moon thing first?'_

Marco scratches his neck and smiles, closing his eyes.  _'I think we should wait for Janna to come. The Moons affected her too. She almost KILLED that annoying cheerleader girl for talking bad about us and accusing me of cheating.'_

' _You would never do that Marco! I thought my made things…'_

' _People are jerks Star. Not everyone is willing to listen. They would rather twist the truth, despite how messed up that is.'_

Both teens open their eyes and turn toward the two confused boys. Marco speaks up first. "I will explain everything but I want to make one thing clear; despite the fact I like Star still, we aren't dating. She is dating my good friend Tom, so, yeah."

"You like…" The two begin shouting, before shutting up on the spot once they spotted a glare from Star. Alfonzo coughs before speaking again.

"Dang…you are okay with that? I thought you would be more down." Marco laughed bitterly and shook his head.

"I  _was_ down and upset, but I got better." Janna comes in with Jackie in tow. "And that is the reason why I got better. Hey Troublemaker."

Janna perks up and smiles once she spots Marco. She leaps next to him and throws her arm around his shoulder. "Hey Safe Kid. Thanks for not letting me kill that annoying girl."

"Um…no problem?" Marco answered unsurely. "Don't know why you let people get to you like that. You are way too strong to let jerks say something that ticks you off."

Janna sighed and leaned on Marco's arm. "Just…you know."

Jackie smirks and sits down next to Star. "Janna was sick though dudes. She left a  _blue_ dent mark right next to that nasty b…I mean girls face." She coughed, correcting herself.

"Janna can use magic?" Star and Marco say in unison, making Jackie and Janna shrug in response.

"Talk about dem apples…" Star ponders, opening up her lunch bag. She takes out a sandwich, with Marco talking out two bags. He passes one of them to Janna.

"Here you go Troublemaker. I made some chicken sandwich before we left for school." Marco rubbed his neck and blushed slightly. "Figured doing something nice and stuff."

Janna opens the bag and studies the food. It looked neatly stacked, was thick with food and it had a nice smelling aura. Turning to her boyfriend, she kissed his cheek. "Dude, that was really sweet for you. Didn't know free meals come with the Diaz package."

Marco smirked with a toothy smile. "I love cooking, so yeah." The two laughed, with Star only smiling. 'He made my lunch too, so not going to say anything.' She bit into her meal and had a content smile. Jackie, Ferg and Alfonzo look at the three having very different emotions. Jackie is pleased Marco is still being not only a good friend to Star but quite an attentive boyfriend to her best friend…makes her wonder about somethings. Ferg and Alfonzo mentally curse at their friend for having two close attractive girls that like him, but they are happy for Marco regardless.

* * *

Marco looks at the three after taking a bite out of his own food, raising an eyebrow. "What's up guys? We are just eating some food… Oh! Um, I didn't know you guys wanted my cooking too."

"No that isn't it buddy." Ferg says with a smile, leaning forward in his seat. "Seems like you learned a thing or two about the ladies from me bro."

Marco's eye twitches at this comment, making Janna laugh loudly. "Why yes, he has two  _lovely_ woman wrapped around his finger. We would  _do anything_  for Marco, wouldn't we Star?"

The expression on Star's face was priceless, having a combination of emotions. Shock from what Janna was implying, Anger from her teasing a really sour subject for Marco and surprisingly Joy considering there is truth to her comment. Marco though, he was just pure red, not from anger though. But from pure embarrassment.

"Janna…sweetie…" Marco says calmly, shaking slightly. "Don't ever say something like that again please. I beg you. If Tom heard that? I would be a pile of ash right now."

"Someone call?" Marco leaped in the air like a scared cat, clinging on to the dangling lap above the table. Tom and Pete come out of a portal, holding a book but they watch their human friend look horrified. Turning to Star's blushing face and the table of snickering idiots, the demon only sighs. "Look, I get my bro likes my girlfriend still…but  _don't_ tease him about that okay? Bad enough…whatever." Tom takes a deep breath and sits down next to Star. Pete warps next to Jackie, having a grin on his face.

"Hey dude." Jackie says smiling, holding out a fist which Pete bumps. He points at Marco, still hanging off the ceiling. "Oh, he is just scared after Janna said a really crude comment."

"Please, share this with me and Tom." Pete says playfully. "I'm really interested." His eye socket glows blue slightly, scaring Marco more.

"…I'm not going to die today, right guys?" Marco squeaks. Star has enough of  _her_  Marco…I mean her best friend being teased. Using her wand, she gently brings him down in-between herself and Janna.

"You aren't going to die buddy. Just...Janna. You scoundrel, don't tease us like that!" Star shouts, making Janna roll her eyes. She leans on Marco's shoulder, having a playful smile.

"We was just having fun is all." Marco takes needed deep breaths and feels calmer. "But the look on your face was gold man!"

"…Now that I'm  _not_ fearing for my life, what are you guys doing here?" Marco looks at Tom and Pete. "I like you guys and happy you popped up again, but just wondering is all. Oh! Didn't introduce you to my childhood friends." Marco gets up and throws his arms around Ferg and Alfonzo. "This is Ferg and Alfonzo, my life-long buds. They are quite cool."

"I don't see that." Tom says casually before growing a smile. "Nice to meet you two. Friend of Diaz over there and boyfriend of Starship."

Pete summoned a glowing blue bone and spun it in the air. "I'm Pete." Alfonzo just grinned at the sight of Pete. "Yes, I really like that game. Hehe…"

"Nice to meet you guys!" Ferg and Alfonzo say in unison. The group chats away for a few minutes, eating lunch and catching up after recent events.

* * *

Marco explains everything regarding the recent Blood and Eclipse Moons, while Star explains why Marco is wearing his glasses.

After explaining everything, Ferg and Alfonzo raise their hands, making Marco chuckle. "What?"

"You really can play music?"

"Those glasses are sick!"

"Do you have Detective Vision?! You  _can_ see red and blue now…"

"How did you get a princess to like you?!"

"Did Janna force you into dating her?'

Marco just shook his head and held up both hands. "Okay, will break it down like this. One, yes I can and you both know that. Second, thank Pete for them. Third, this isn't a dang video game! Fourth, um…ask Star I guess. And lastly, Janna didn't force anything; we honestly like one another. Good enough now?"

Both nodded and Marco sat back down. Tom coughs, getting everyone's attention. "Okay, enough antics. I found out more about the Blood Moon. It's effects on Marco are…quite interesting." Tom snaps his fingers summoning a book. "Read this Diaz." Marco grabs the book and begins reading.

_The Blood Moon can empower the souls blessed by its light. Once hit and a bond is accepted between the pair, they can use new gifts. The male of the bond is gifted the power of Blood Vision, allowing them to have heighten senses. This depends on the person, but a common gift is the ability to have heighten vision. They can pick up on auras, special items and the ones they are bonded. The female of the light is more attentive toward their partner, having a high amount of defensive tendencies around her partner. If the female can use magic or has magic within them, their power is amplified under intense emotion. When they mate…_

Marco closes the book at this point and chucks it toward Tom. "Okay, read enough."

"We didn't get to the good part though." Janna moans, earning a glare from Marco and Star.

Tom's eye is twitching, making Marco worried. "Buddy…that could be wrong. Don't worry, okay?" This doesn't calm him down at all, but he picks up Marco's worried gaze. The demon takes a deep breath and relaxes somewhat. "Nothing about breaking the curse was present, wasn't it?"

"No, we can't break it." He rubs his third eye. "But, it seems to empower both of you. So this isn't completely bad."

"I'm surprised that I have stronger powers! Can't wait to try them out." Star has a very playful glare in her eyes, making Marco roll his own. She turns to him and excitedly shakes the boy. "But this explains your colored vision!"

"Doesn't touch on the blue and the Eclipse Moon but yeah." Marco smiles and turns toward Ferg & Alfonzo. "You was right about that joke before after all."

"Okay Batman, clam down." Jackie jokes, slapping her knees. "But I think this is good. Though…" She leans toward Janna and whispers. "I want to learn about that matting part." Everyone heard her though, making Marco and Star groan. "You heard that?"

"YES!" Marco and Star shout in unison. At this point they are annoyed and say nothing. Pete snickers while Tom only sighs. Janna is quite pleased with everything, just watching the show unfold around her.


	11. Nightmares of Tomorrow

After enjoying some time with his friends at lunch, the boy felt quite tired. Throwing himself onto a warm desk, he closes his eyes and chaps his lips. 'This class isn't that important anyway...' Marco tells himself. As he drifts into sleep though, his mind enters an odd green landscape, covered with thick fog and mild shouting.

"Where…where am I?" Marco asked aloud, rubbing his head. He looks at his arm, noticing he is donning some kind of costume. Looking at his other arm and legs, he realizes something; he is donning his Blood Moon Ball attire. "Oh great, that Moon is messing with me  _again_. Ugh, maybe this dream will end soon." Marco tries to rub his forehead, but feels it oddly rough. Touching it again, he feels…something similar to bones.

He begins panicking and pulls up his sleeve, horrified to discover…he is a skeleton. "Don't worry Earth Boy, you are just dreaming…for now." He turns around and spots an odd sight; a lizard man in a suit. "I'm only here to talk with you." Snapping his fingers, two chairs are summoned, making Marco feel confused. "Come, sit."

He just listens to the odd lizard, sitting in his chair. The lizard only chuckles at Marco, taking the boy in. Seeing his chest glowing red and blue amuses him greatly; the power of the moons flowing within the boy. Marco feels angry more than anything, folding his arms in annoyance. "What do you want? Sorry for being direct, but you seem like the thinking type."

"Very impressive. I can see why the princess is fond of you…or is she?" The lizard taps his chin playfully, making Marco grit his teeth. "Right, she is dating that demon boy. Odd. The moons did hit the both you after all…"

"Shut up." Marco hissed, digging his fingers into the wooden chair. "We care about each other a lot and decided to date other people."

"Or…she doesn't love you back and is saying things to make you feel better." Marco's heart froze, which the lizard greatly enjoyed. "See? Butterflies play with emotions, twist them to their needs. They get what they want in the end, even if leaves others suffering."

Marco ponders the monster's words seriously, but soon shakes them away. Looking directly at the lizard's face, he feels intense fire surround him, coated in a vivid red. "Star loves me and I will do anything for her. She wants to be with Tom and I accept that fully. I love someone else a lot to and I will  _not_ hurt her like how Star hurt me." The skeleton boy gets up and marches over toward the monster. "You…you know  _nothing_ about me."

"But I  _do_ know how you feel Marco." The lizard responds. "But enough with this bickering." He holds out his hand. "Toffee."

Marco studies his hand and soon sighs. "Marco Diaz." They shake hands and Marco sits back down. "I know you wanted to get under my skin but I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. Sorry."

Toffee is surprised to see Marco so…understanding. He figured the boy would want to kill him for taunting him, but the lizard sees kindness within Marco. "It is fine. I dealt with worse."

"Really now?" Marco snickers, making the lizard chuckle slightly. "But…why taunt me like this? What is you game Toffee…"

"You are…interesting." Toffee walks closer to Marco, folding hands behind his back. "I don't want you to disappointment me."

Marco is confused by the words 'disappoint'. He leans forward, looking at Toffee intently. "What do you mean by that?" Toffee just grins, making Marco grow a frown. "Oh, I see. You think me and Star will get together. That I will be a  _king_  at some point. Funny, continuing to tease me without directly saying it."

Toffee just broke out into utter laughter, breaking his calm exterior. The boy…keeps on impressing him. "I like you Marco." He vanishes, leaving Marco alone in the green void. Marco looks around, wondering what else might happen next but soon spots an odd vortex open up in front of him.

He walks toward it and touches the object, making him scream from pain. "AHHH! What is…" Visions flash rapidly in his mind so fast, he can't even process all of them. The pain soon stops and he is huffing loudly. Looking at his bony hands, they glow brightly. Some of the images play in his mind…including one of him and Star sitting on a pair…of thrones. "No…why is this happening."

* * *

Soon though, a warm touch taps his shoulder. Looking to his right, he spots Star smiling. "Don't worry so much." Marco narrows his gaze toward this figment of Star, as he remembers  _vividly_ how an 'image' of Star attacked him a few days ago. The figment notices the nasty gaze, letting go. "I won't hurt you."

"Leave me alone." Marco hissed, standing up tall. He studied 'Star', noticing her wearing the Blood Moon Ball outfit, oddly having a bright angel hallo hovering above her head. "What's this? You my 'angel' or something?"

"Um…no?" 'Star' answered in an annoyed tone, folding her gloved arms. "I'm your friend Marco." He studied 'Star' yet again, noticing the figment being friendly and only wanting to help. Marco sighed and slouched forward.

"Sorry for being a jerk. Don't like being taunted." Star walked up to Marco, patting his shoulder. "So…what is this anyway?"

"I have no idea buddy." She looked around and smirked. "Like the shades of green and pink hovering around. It's coooool." Marco snickered at Star's upbeat outlook. "What do you wanna do?"

"Um, wake up?" Marco answered honestly. "I…I don't feel that great honestly. But, ever heard of a guy named Toffee?"

Star tapped her chin, thinking something. Her face grew dark, as if she heard some dark truth. "What did he say?" Her voice was stern and regal, as acting like a future queen. Marco shook seeing this before calming down.

"He said you don't really love me, that you are just stringing me along." Marco folded his arms, looking away from the 'angel'. "I don't believe him though, as our bond is way too strong. I mean, sure you are dating Tom but we both came to an understanding recently."

Star's face was frozen, as if Marco's words struck her very heart. The skeleton boy noticed this, placing his bony hand on her shoulder. She looked into his eyes and grew a somber smile. "Maybe he is right."

* * *

Marco felt sick suddenly, kneeling on the floor, holding his chest tightly. "N-No. That isn't right." He started shaking, with red and blue washing over him. "We do love each other. You are just…we are just..." Star slowly walked closer to Marco, kneeling down. Her kind face turned dark, growing a smug grin. "Star?"

"Why would I love an Earth Boy anyway?" Marco gritted his teeth and clenched his bony fists. "You are worthless. I just  _enjoyed_ your help getting used to 'Earth' peasant. Besides, I can be with a demon prince. How can you best that, Marco Diaz?" The boy felt anger come over him, with the bright red surrounding him vanishing completely, leaving a midnight blue coating his bony frame.

"Shut up you harlot." Marco stood up tall and violently pushed Star back. "Stay. Away. From. MEEEEEEEEEE!" The warrior growled loudly, making his voice boom loudly across the green room. Dashing into Star, he landed a powerful punch on her heart cheek, making her fly back. The boy felt no sympathy; Star crossed a line in his mind. However, the princess only got up, laughing loudly.

"My, you were always a good knight. Maybe I will have some use for you after all." Star cracked her gloved hands, taking out a sickly looking wand. It was pure black, with the star crystal glowing a vivid shade of red. The top wasn't a ball anymore, but rather mirrored the top of a staff. "Lighting Storm." Star said coldly, with the lighting striking Marco.

"AHHHHH!" The skeleton boy screamed in pain, kneeling on the ground. He forced his head up, watching Star smirk evilly. "This isn't you Star."

"Or...maybe this is the  _ **real**_ Star Butterfly. The one that you unlocked." Star gave a look of contempt toward Marco. "After all, you  _love_ me so much. You didn't even…"

"SHUT UP!" Marco screamed loudly, as if the demon inside was shouting for freedom. "I DIDN'T FIGHT TO GIVE TOM A CHANCE!" The boy huffed loudly, leaving Star confused. Her cold face, morphed into something familiar to the boy. "I…I want you. But…you  _pushed_ me away Princess." Marco's voice got laced with malice and rage, making Star jump back. She readied her wand but the boy grabbed it.

"Don't you…" Marco grinned, snapping the magical device in half, making a loud blast of magic overtake the room. Both warriors laid on the ground, moaning in pain. Star looked at the remains of her wand, having a horrified look in her eyes. "How could you?"

"You caused this Star Butterfly, Princess of Mewni." Marco answered, kneeling down near Star's face. "Toy with someone's heart enough times, they willingly break it into pieces just to move on." He got up and started walking away but something stopped him. Looking at his arms, they started to fall apart. Turning toward Star, she had her eyes pure white for a brief moment, before turning cold blue once more.

"Good-bye, Marco Diaz." Star passed out, dissolving into the wind. Marco keeled on the ground, watching his body fall apart. Before he fully passed, the image of Toffee appears before him, grinning madly. Next to him were two figures, one small and one large. The lizard walks up to Marco, having one of smugness.

"This is what Butterflies do to you." The figures vanished, with Marco closing his bony eyes, passing into the afterlife.

* * *

Jolting out of his desk, the Earth boy's shouts loudly. "AHHHHHH! HOW COULD YOU STAR?!" He felt rage boiling in his skin, standing tall and looking around the room in utter fury. Star was just shaking, as if she had the same dream. Marco noticed and marched towards her like a wild animal. The princess had a hateful look in her eyes, taking out her wand.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Star hissed, with the two teenagers locking their eyes together. The princess calmed down, noticing the tear stains on Marco's face and fear hidden beneath the fire in his eyes. Marco didn't simmer down at all, having dark emotions toward his loved one. The only things preventing him from throwing the princess across the room was his 'never hit woman' motto drilled into his skull growing up and his love for Star still burning inside him.

Unknowing to the two, was the entire class looking at the teens horrified. Janna and Jackie were in the room, with Tom & Pete warping soon after. The four watched the two in utter confusion, but of the four, Pete looked scared and ran off. Tom followed and noticed Pete shaking; he never does this.

"Pete? What just happened in there?" Tom asked with his voice laced with worry and concern. Pete still shook, with his bones rattling. Turning toward Tom, his eyes were glowing a bright blue.

"Those two…they saw  _him_." Pete said with venom. Tom froze, knowing who he was talking about.

"Toffee…" Tom clenched his fists and looked back into the classroom. Star and Marco were now crying in each other's arms, scared out of their minds. "He knows about the Moons it seems."

"What are we going to do Tom?" Pete asked worriedly. Tom sits next to his life-long friend and pats his shoulder. "I know a lot, I really do. But how can we stop Toffee?"

"This is outside our league. We have to get Starship's parents involved." Tom said sternly. He  _knows_ Moon Butterfly faced Toffee in the past…he did not look forward to bringing up the creature toward the Butterfly family.

"I felt something else." Pete curled up in a ball, making Tom scared. "Toffee…tried to make Marco and Star hate one another." Tom's eyes grew wide and felt his entire body fall apart. Sure, he wanted to be with Star and is overjoyed they are finally dating. But having Marco  _hate_ Star? He really cares about his human friend…

"We need to do something to liven up things." Tom gets up with confidence. "Get Jackie and Janna. I will get those loser friends of Marco's to help too."

"Got it bro." Pete walked into the classroom while Tom warped off elsewhere.

Pete just watched what was before him and felt anger. Star and Marco didn't not move a muscle; they held one another for fifteen minutes in the corner of the classroom, crying. Not saying a single word. Nothing pulled them apart, even Janna bumping their heads together as a mild joke. The teacher of the class didn't know how to stop their sadness, so she continued the class. Jackie stayed with the two while Pete grabbed Janna out of the room.

"Pete…what just happened?" Janna asked with fear. She  _never_ heard Star and Marco yell at one another that way before. The bony warrior rubbed his arm, sighing in frustration. "The moons again?"

"No." He looks dead in Janna's eye. "A great foe is coming back in the future. We need to be ready. You can learn magic. So…" He holds Janna's hand and begins dragging her. "…you are learning it.  _ **Now**_."

Janna only nodded and listened to her recent friend. Turning back to the classroom, she held on to her pendant. The girl felt the raw anger and pain Marco was suffering from currently, making her confident once more. "I will be there for you Diaz."


	12. Chains

To say Star Butterfly was utterly terrified right now was an understatement; she was scared out of her mind. Awakening from a dark nightmare and having Marco gaze at her with a killers look, she didn't know what was going on. But not long after gazing at her best friend with utter rage, they both broke down hard. Curled up in a cluster together, they held one another tightly and cried somberly. They spoke nothing, but communicated through their bond.

" _Star? What…why…how?"_

" _Marco…you okay buddy?"_

" _No, far from 'okay'. I'm downright horrified, scared and don't know what to do."_

"… _I feel the same way. Why did you say those things?"_

" _Better question, why did YOU say those things? Did you really mean them?"_

" _No!"_

" _But…why did it feel like…those were your true feelings. Star, was that the_ _ **real**_ _you?"_

" _Marco Diaz…look at me. Do you think I'm that cruel?"_

" _No Star. But even if that wasn't your voice, it came from your face. I…I will always imagine you saying those things to me."_

"… _Marco."_

" _Look, you are a princess from another dimension. A beautiful angel that crash landed into my life and gave it purpose. But…much of what 'you' said is painfully true. I just helped you get used to Earth. You made friends here and you had a 'knight' to help you fight Ludo."_

" _Look Marco. You made my life a lot better too."_

" _I doubt it…"_

" _Just listen to me!"_

" _Fine."_

" _Ever since I was little, everyone demands that I need to be this all important queen. And…that sadly is the truth. I need to rule over my people one day and…I hate that. I don't_ _ **want**_ _to be another ruler. I want to be myself. I…want to be STAR Butterfly. Not A Butterfly."_

"…"

" _When I came to Earth, I was finally able to cut loose and fully be myself. Seeing you by myside all this time, has not only helped me better my magic, but also get me closer to important people. People…like you."_

" _But…I'm just an Earth guy Star. And I can hurt you! I broke your wand in HALF!? I was…some dead guy. Just…is it really safe you be around me?"_

" _Marco Marco Marco…I'm dating a fire demon from what you peps on Earth describe as 'Hell'. I wouldn't worry so much."_

" _Hehe…okay Space Case. But Toffee told me Butterflies only 'use' people. I…are you using me?"_

" _Why would you think that?!"_

" _Like I said before, I helped you get use to Earth and junk. And I help clean up your messes."_

" _Nah, those aren't messes, they are 'new adventures'. Get your information right buddy."_

" _Okay okay…but point is, you COULD have used me. I…I don't know anymore."_

" _Look, we are best friends. Soul Mates. And…we love one another."_

"…"

" _Y-You don't believe that anymore?"_

" _Would love ones want to rip each other's throats out like before? We BOTH had anger in our eyes in that 'dream'. We KILLED each other."_

" _Love…is a strange emotion. Remember Jackie's speech today?"_

" _Yeah, I remember. But this love we have for each other. I…I…I don't know if it's genuine. Do you think the Blood Moon is causing this to happen?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _The fact we love one another. Do you think…the Moon is pushing us together by force? I remember…always caring about you. But after that Ball, my feelings got a lot stronger. It tapped into my rage and anger, something I deeply suppressed. And clearly we are attracted to other people; you dating tom and me dating Janna."_

" _You really think I didn't like you before that dance?"_

" _W-What?"_

" _Marco…I…I liked you since we met honestly."_

"…"

" _You are such a nice guy and I'm really dang lucky to have you in my arms right now."_

" _Why did you kiss Tom than? Are you just saying this to make me feel better?"_

" _No, I'm serious Marco. Kissing Tom was…sur of the moment. I DO love him a lot, just like I love you a lot too."_

" _I…"_

" _You don't believe me, right?"_

" _No sadly. I'm sorry Star."_

"… _It's cool Marco."_

" _But I do love you Star. I always will."_

"…"

The two stayed silent, despite having this mental conversation, they refused to let each other go. It was as if, the love between Star and Marco held them together like glue. Refusing to break apart no matter how hard they tried to do so. Jackie watched the sight before her in both shock and amusement. Peaking in closer, she spots smiles etched across their faces, making her feel better.

"Those two man…quite the pair." Jackie sighs and looks toward the door. "Better see if Pete and Janna are okay."

* * *

Tom flew around the school, mirroring one of his favorite comic-book heroes. But feels utter rage toward the suffering his friends are dealing with. Pete feeling scared…Marco breaking down yet again…and his Starship looking so conflicted. The demon feels his heart moan from sadness and uses it to speed up his flying. Looking toward some lockers, he spots a large guy and his lanky friend. "There are those too… HEY! Come over here!"

Alfonzo and Ferg stopped in their tracks, dropping books in fear. Ferg gulps and speaks up. "H-Hello Tom. We didn't do anything! Don't kill us!"

"WHAT?!" Tom shouts, making the two boy's shake more. The demon realizes he is letting out his rage, so he coughs and calms down. "Um…sorry about that. So, I need you two to help."

Alfonzo fixes his glasses and studies Tom; the boy clearly tells his new demon friend is worried about something. "This is about Marco, right? Please don't tell me…"

"He broke down…again." Tom sighed and looked at the floor, rubbing his arm. Ferg mirrors the demon, but Alfonzo slams his locker shut, startling the two. "What is…"

"Why is this happening again?!" Alfonzo shouts, clenching his fists. "Marco worked so  _hard_ to control his temper and emotions. Now of all times…in front of Star." He opens his eyes, coming to a realization. "S-She is causing this."

"What?" Ferg asks, looking at Alfonzo in confusion. His friend gives a bitter look toward Ferg, as if they are sending something through thoughts. "No man. Star is cool."

"Marco was calm and collected for  _years_. Now Star is here and he is bugging out again. You think this is a coincidence?" Tom only chuckles, getting a dark look from the two boys. "You know this is true, don't you?"

"Honestly, it's  _partially_ true Alfonzo." The boy is surprised the demon called him by his name. "But it's a lot more than that. You two, follow me." Tom walks ahead, with the two boy's following him toward the classroom.

* * *

Janna and Pete are outside, 'cutting' class to work on magic. While Janna was overjoyed to learn magic, something she  _dreamed_ about mastering for years…she had one question. "Um, Pete? Can I ask  _how_ this is happening?" Janna is making a small can float in the air, twilling it around like nothing. "Being good at this junk is  _convent_. I don't like that."

"Well Janna." Pete chuckles and sits down. Janna joins him and they look up at the bright sun, watching some birds pass by. "Your history with witchcraft has you 'attracted' to magical things for a while now."

"You know about that?" Janna smirked throwing her arm around Pete. "Seems like you spy on me. And to think we just met." The bony warrior laughs slightly.

"No, I can read the magic within people. Just like how Diaz has red and blue magic dancing inside him. You have blue magic within  _you_. This magic…allows you to use powers not unlike my own." He summons a bone and using his mind, chucks it away. The two watch a strange dog appear out of nowhere, chasing it. "…Hope the dog likes it."

"Interesting…" Janna rubs her chin. "What about Marco using magic though?"

"The kid can use fire-based magic, thanks to the Moon affecting him so violently." Pete folds his arms in anger. "But this is taxing to one's mind. The poor kid's mind is acting all up. Just…" He shakes his head. "I hate this. Marco is a nice guy."

"I know…Star seems affected by this too." Pete only nods, though he looks away. "…There is more to this."

Pete grins slightly, impressed with how Janna is picking up on things. "See, Star's magic is flued by emotions. Now, the Blood Moon super-charges one emotions." Janna's eyes grew wide, with her soon making an 'oh' sound. "That explains Marco's tempter coming back. But Star, she can use more powerful magic…dark magic."

"That…doesn't sound good. Right? I mean it sounds sick! But…" Pete only sighs, leans back.

"You are into strange stuff, aren't yah?" Janna smirks and punches Pete's arm. Jackie comes down the stairs and Pete perks up seeing the skater girl. "Hey. Are they okay?"

Jackie sits next to Pete, curling up in a ball. "I never seen those two so…weak before. They  _refused_ to let go from one another."

"I know, I made them 'kiss' a few times and nothing happened." Janna chuckled darkly. Pete and Janna gave baffled looks, making Janna sigh. "Just hit their heads together. Jeez, making of light of horrible stuff guys."

"I know but still Janna." Jackie says sternly, making Janna roll her eyes. "Look, they are okay. I spotted them smiling before."

Pete leaned forward, pondering something. "Their bond is so strong…they communicate through thoughts. Interesting…" Janna and Jackie's eyes grew wide, which Pete noticed. "Another perk of the Blood Moon. Also, you have this with Marco too Janna. I looked up the Eclipse Moon." He leaned back, snapping his fingers. A small book crashed into Janna's lap, called  _The Legend of the Eclpse Moon_. "Read this, could help or something."

"Thanks man." Janna held it on her side. Jackie looked ahead, wondering something. Janna studied her friend and nudged her shoulder. "It will be okay girl. Marco and Star are strong."

"…You don't get it, do you?" Jackie said oddly serious. "They almost killed one another. You saw it Janna." The beanie clad girl didn't want to admit it, but her friend was right. Marco and Star looked at one another with utter  _rage_. Something she never expected to see between the two friends. "Whoever is fucking with them, is damn good at their job."

"Wow…you never curse Jackie." Janna says in shock. Jackie looks at her friend and feels mild regret. "It's okay to let loose sometimes."

* * *

As Janna, Jackie and Pete were talking, Tom and his group was walking toward the classroom. Star and Marco were still holding one another tightly, making Tom snicker. "Okay guys, break it up." To his shock, they were sound asleep at this point. Looking towards Ferg and Alfonzo, he just shrugged his shoulders. "Can you help me pull them apart?"

"No." Ferg states firmly, taking out his cellphone. Taking a few pictures of the 'couple' hugging, he puts his phone away. "Okay,  _now_ we can pull them apart." Tom felt some anger at the sight between Star and Marco. Them hugging and looking so close…he wonders if dating Star is a good idea to begin with. Alfonzo notices the demon looking down, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Look Tom. I know what you are thinking. If Star loves Marco…you need to accept that. But, you also should know this. She choose  _you_ that night. Not Marco. That has to count for something." Tom takes in these words from Alfonzo and smirks at the comment.

"You know, thanks." Tom smiles and looks at the 'couple' again. "Aright guys, gotta take these guys somewhere safe."

* * *

"What happened…" Marco felt tired and drained. He tries to move but he feels something holding him tight. With his vision cleared up, he notices Star is holding him like a teddy bear. "Oh man, Tom is going to kill me."

"Not really." He looks toward the voice and spots Tom sitting next to them. They are sitting what looks to be a blue-colored house. "Before you freak out, we are in Jackie's house. Her parents are out and she figured you and Starship needed. Um, as I quote 'more alone time'. You are lucky we are bros man."

Marco feels horrible at this point. "I'm really sorry Tom. Just…I don't know what happened. I had this dream and…" Tom holds up his hand.

"Look, I am going to be honest with you right here. Right now." Tom takes a deep breath and lets mild flames come out of his nose. "I'm okay with you dating Star." Marco felt his heart drop hearing this. "It's clear she loves you strongly. So…it's cool."

"No it isn't Tom." Marco answered back, making Tom raise an eyebrow. "I mean…your relationship didn't even start yet! It's not fair to you…"

"Marco…you can't be so selfless sometimes." Tom said sternly, but Marco had a focused gaze.

"I…I don't want to hurt anyone." He looks at the sleeping Star, now drooling over his hoodie. "Never again. Even if Star didn't mean to hurt me, I learned something. Breaking someone's heart sucks. I will  _never_ do what Star did to anyone."

Janna was right behind the couch, listening to every word. She felt her own heart get joy, as despite everything. Despite Tom offering Star on a silver platter, he  _still_ chooses her. Marco feels something kiss his cheek, which to his shock is…Star?!

"…You never hurt me Marco." The princess coos, still half-dazed. Marco turns around, spotting Janna look shocked. Tom is downright confused at this point.

"…It's okay Marco…" Janna runs off, but Marco pulls an arm away from Star, tightly holding Janna's hand. "Marco?"

"I love you Janna. Don't you  _never_ forget that, got it Troublemaker?" Marco kisses her hand softly, making the girl blush. Star is still dazed, mumbling something. The boy leans in trying to listen to her.

"…I...love…my…prince…no…more…hurt…" Star mumbles softly, chapping her lips as she snuggles into Marco's chest. Tom just rubs his third eye while Janna snickers.

"…Again, you are lucky we are bros Marco." Tom says sternly, making Marco sigh. "It's okay. You two get your rest." Tom stretches his arms and walks into the kitchen, with Janna sitting in his place.

"So Diaz…what  _was_ that dream about anyway?" Marco looked at Star, narrowing his eyes in anger. "Dang, that bad."

"Star and I killed one another. We said…horrible things to each other. And some lizard guy named Toffee showed up. He…he seemed okay." Marco didn't understand, but he felt honestly in every word Toffee spoke. "I don't get why he made us suffer so much…but every action has a meaning. Or something." Marco leaned back into couch, feeling drained.

"So the Safe Kid killed a princess? Guess that makes you the Koopa King?" Janna smirked, making Marco shoot an annoyed glare.

"Okay, two things. One, way too soon Janna. Secondly, Koopa  _kidnaps_ the princess. Get your facts right." Marco huffed, but the two soon laughed softly.

"Fine." She digs into her pocket and hands Marco a cup. "Can you give me relationship advice Charlie?"

Marco holds the cup with his free hand, shaking it. A grin forms on his face soon after. "Got your quarter Lucy?"

* * *

In the kitchen is Tom rubbing his neck, feeling loosey. He feels…as if he lost Star before he got the chance to reconnect with her. The worst part? He can't even blame Marco for this. He is completely willing to wait for the princess. It's those stupid moons…that is what Tom tells himself anyway. Surrounding him was Pete, Ferg and Alfonzo. They were eating a pizza Jackie ordered a hour ago.

"So demon dude, what powers do you have?" Ferg asks, as he takes a bite from his pizza.

"Oh, a lot. Can…" After spending a half hour explaining all his powers, the entire table looked horrified. "…and turn a body from the inside out. That is everything." He looked around him and felt a dark laugh roar from within him. "What? I'm a  _demon_. What did you all expect?"

"Don't kill us please." Ferg and Alfonzo plead, holding one another tightly. Jackie only chuckles at this, leaning on a wall folding her arms. Pete smirks, always enjoying people fearing his demon friend. They honestly should…

"He won't kill you…" Jackie says with confidence. "If he hasn't killed Marco yet for cuddling with his girlfriend for the past two hours, he won't kill you guys."

"It  _has really_  been two hours?" Tom asks aloud, with Pete nodding yes. "Wow."

"Star was really affected by that nightmare I guess." Jackie throws her arm around Tom. The demon smiles and rests on her head. "She loves ya still hot head."

"I know…" Tom smiles, rubbing his arm sheepishly. "But I feel bad for them. They both want to move on but all this crap is shoving them together."

"This is a good thing." Pete comments, getting everyone's attention. "Their bond makes them stronger. Pull them apart, they get weaker."

The table was silent, fully taking in this information. "Good thing I'm friends with Marco then." Tom says softly. Jackie pats his back softly with Pete feeling a connection form between the two.

"Mmm…" He mumbles aloud, getting Tom's attention. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking." Tom shrugs and relaxes.

For the rest of the day, the group of friends relaxed in peace, enjoying one another's company. Star though? She slept soundly in Marco's arms. Refusing to let go, Marco gave up and slept soon after talking with Janna. The two best friends, despite horrible visions haunting them, were together.

* * *

As our heroes recover from a deadly spiritual attack, the one responsible is geeing joyfully within his dwellings. The lizard known as Toffee Eclipse was enjoying a cold glass of swamp water, reading a book detailing the Butterfly Magical wand. Next to the book, was one covering the Blood Moon, with a bookmark in the center of the text. Toffee always viewed himself as the schemer, preferring 'talking' rather than fighting.

"Ah, Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz…you two could do a lot." He clenches his fists together, grinning madly. "But I want to rule Mewni  _myself_. So, you two? Going to play  _right_ into my hands." Toffee looks down at his hands, noticing one missing a finger. Bitter memories of his own  _loved one_ play within his mind. Gritting his jaw, he takes his glass of swamp water and violently tosses it across the room. "MOON! Why did you…" He notices himself looking feral in a nearby mirror, disgusting the monster. Taking a deep breath, he calms down. "No…not letting her get to me."

Toffee looks over a lone picture though, one he had a minion took from the Diaz Household. Picking it up, it shows Star making a peace sign while having her arms around a smiling Marco. "Those two…why does this remind me so much of myself and Moon?" He lets a lone tear come down his face before shutting down his sadness. "Marco…you won't suffer like I have." The lizard felt some regret making him suffer with the vision he 'casted'. Despite losing most of his magic, he has some still left inside him. Casting the vision took a lot out of Toffee, but he felt it was worth it. "Wake up to the truth Earth Boy. Before it's too late." He puts the picture down and looks at his book on the magic Butterfly wand. "The wand will be mine…first step toward taking over Mewni. First though…"

The well-dressed lizard taps his mirror phone, calling someone. "Hello brother. I want you to pay a visit to the princess and her friend. What? No…don't kill them…not yet. I want you to… _visit_ them is all, understood? Great, be careful." He ends the call, forming a grin on his large jaw. "Plans…oh how I love a good one forming together."

* * *

Marco and Star…had a very rough day. They faced a horrid vision, one that will forever haunt them. The act of  _killing_ one another…saying those hurtful things…that stuck with them long after waking up.

"Marco?" Star yawns, chapping her lips. She looks around and spots Marco curled up in a ball, away from her. "We aren't holding each other anymore?" The princess felt sadness at this fact for some reason, but is surprised by a demon sleeping on a chair. "Tom?" Star gets up slowly and walks up to her boyfriend, poking his cheek. "Wake up sleepy face."

"…Starship?" Tom says softly, opening his eyes. Star smiles and hugs Tom, making the demon feel happy. "Glad you are doing better. You and Marco held one another for twelve hours." Star's eyes shot wide open hearing this information, making Tom smirk. "I would think Marco is your boyfriend after that…"

"Tom I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you…" Star rubbed her arm, honestly feeling bad. Tom only gave a soft smile, kissing Star's cheek. "You aren't mad? Not even at Marco?"

"Why would I be mad? You guys went through hell. If I was mad, I would be a  _huge_ jerk." The two hugged each other before soon letting go. "Want me to wake up Diaz? I know a  _great_ way to do so." Star grinned and giggled.

After getting their 'prank' setup, Star leaned on the other side of the bed, ticking Marco's face with a feather. The boy kept swatting the air, before slapping his face. "What the?!" Marco shot out of bed, feeling whipped cream over his eyes. "WHO DID THIS?"

"I diiiiiiiiiiiiiid!" Star sang, making Marco look at the princess in utter confusion. "Morning Maarcooo." The boy just looked at her, his left eye twitching somewhat. His glasses were off thankfully, so they didn't get damaged.

"…Night Star." Marco just went back to sleep, but Tom lifted the boy out of bed. "Hey!"

"You slept long enough Diaz." Tom says with a grin, making Marco chuckle. The demon soon puts Marco down

"Okay, okay…" Marco wipes his face with a nearby shirt and throws on his glasses. "Um…sorry about the other day Tom." The demon only sighed, rubbing his neck.

"Dude, its fine. I'm not mad with you or Starship. But…" He folds his arms, having a focused look. "You two need to explain to everyone  _what_ happened in that dream."

Marco and Star gave each other a look. Gulping they walked with town downstairs. The two soon realized, that they still were in Jackie's house. Ferg and Alfonzo were playing a fighting game with Janna and Jackie near the TV. Pete was drinking some coffee with Mr. Thomas, with the two looking at Marco & Star.

* * *

Mr. Thomas gets up first and Marco feels scared around the man. He had Jackie's blond hair but his body frame was very muscular, having thick arms and long legs. Wearing a white vest and dress pants, the man had a kind face, but one of stern expression. Looking at Star and Marco, he rubbed his chin, trying to study something. Marco began shaking madly, but Star wasn't scared of the man. In fact, she simply hugged him. "Hello Mr.!"

"My, aren't you the friendly one?" He gently pats Star's head before letting her go. "I'm Jackie's father and I heard about…the situation. I honestly don't understand what is going on personally."

Marco just burst into laughter, despite his initial fears of Jackie's dad. The father raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. The boy noticed and stood up still, like a tin solder. "Sorry sir! Star Butterfly is a Princess from another dimension. Strange situations tend to happen around her." He bows toward the man, who is giving Marco a funny look. "I'm sorry to intrude on your home."

Mr. Thomas only laughed in response, making Marco stand normally. Coming up to the boy, he pushes him toward the kitchen, sitting him down. "Boy, ease up will you?" Passing Marco a cup of coffee, the boy only sighs as he takes a sip. "Is this because you had a thing for my daughter in the past?" Marco began coughing loudly, patting his chest violently to stop the coughing. Everyone around the table only laughed. Star and Pete laughed the most, almost falling out of their chairs. Marco soon calmed down, taking some deep breaths.

"I-I guess sir. Sorry." Marco looks away from the man's face, somewhat ashamed of himself. Mr. Thomas gives a clear look at Marco, picking up something within the boy. He sees longing within his eyes. Glancing at the 'magical princess' sitting close to him, the man clearly sees something. Marco looks at the man again, having a smile. "Thank you for letting me and Star stay over for the night. We both really appreciate it." Star nods in agreement, having a toothy smile.

"No problem for the lovely…" Tom gives the man a dark glare, with Pete mirroring the demon. Marco only sighs, slouching forward.

"Sir, me and Star aren't dating." He takes his glasses from his hoodie pocket, seeing clearly again. "Um…it's a  _very_ long story. Want me to start from the beginning?" Mr. Thomas picked up the anger and stern tone within Marco's voice, only nodding. 'This should be interesting…' The man thought.

* * *

After spending a good half hour explaining the full story, soon everyone is around the table eating pancakes and bacon. Star, Marco and Mr. Thomas couldn't eat much though. While the princess and her best friend had sour bellies after recent events, the man just felt horrible for the boy. Confused emotions are a tricky mystery, one he felt when finding his own princess.

"…and that is everything sir. Um, need me to explain anything else?" Marco asks softly. Mr. Thomas feels confident, leaning forward and asking a big question.

"If given the chance, would you choose…" Marco just stands up and leaves the table at this point, refusing to dive into this toxic minefield of a question. Jackie looks at her father in utter annoyance, with Janna rubbing her arm. Star has her vision locked on to her plate, with Tom & Pete silently cursing Jackie's father. Ferg and Alfonzo just got up, following their best friend.

They spot Marco sitting outside the house, holding out his scissors. The boy is watching the blade, running his fingers through its cold steel. "Maybe…I could leave. No, I wouldn't do that to Janna. Maybe we could leave together. Runaway from everything."

"Really man?" Alfonzo says in fake anger. Marco turns around, spotting his lanky friend sitting on his right. "Come on man, gotta solve this mystery first."

"Yeah dude. Just…don't chicken out." Ferg sits on Marco's left, lightly punching the boy's arm. Marco looks between his two friends and sighs. He honestly doesn't know what to do, so…

"Guys, I will share what happened in that dream." The two friends didn't know how to respond, so they let Marco continue. "I killed Star. I...I killed her. And I  _enjoyed_ it. H-How can I even live with myself? Or even dare say I  _love_ her after that?!" Marco looks up at the sky, gritting his teeth. "If it wasn't for  _those fucking moons_ things would be normal!"

"But it's making you closer to people Marco." Ferg answers serious. Marco turns toward him sharply, raising an eyebrow. "When was the last time you hung out with us?"

"Um…" Marco taps his chin but his mind goes blank. "My…I am a horrible friend. I'm sorry guys." Ferg and Alfonzo snicker, folding their arms in amusement.

"Three weeks." Alfonzo answers, throwing his arm around Marco's shoulder. "But it's cool. Hey, look at  _you_ now. Not only friends with a magical princess but also your former crush, a cool demon guy, some skeleton dude and best of all…you have a girlfriend!"

Marco perks hearing this. "You are right. I shouldn't be feeling down. The Moons are giving me blessings and curses. So, better see this as a 'glass half full' situation." He grins and throws his arms around the two friends. "You guys are real bros. Thanks."

"No problem." Alfonzo and Ferg say in unison. The three laugh but soon a loud crashing noise comes from inside. They dash inside and the sight before them makes Marco angry.

* * *

"Ugh…am I in the right place?" A cloaked lizard with a chainsaw moans. After speaking with his brother to 'visit' Star and Marco. "You, tall human man. Is Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz here?" Mr. Thomas looks horrified, with Jackie dragging him away. The lizard chuckles, humored at how he stroke fear with little effort. "Oh silly humans. Fearful for what they don't understand." He looks at the half-dazed Mewni Princess, angered Demon Prince and a sight that surprises him. "Pete?!"

"Ah, so you decided to show up Rasticore." Pete has his eyes glow a vivid blue. "Been waiting to dunk on you for  _years_. But I have some help." Janna leaps next to Pete, cracking her knuckles and chucking the couch at the lizard using her magic. It hits Rasticore directly in the face, making Pete smirk. " _Very_ impressive Janna."

"Thanks Skulls." Janna turns around and notices Star slowly glowing…red?! "Uh, princess? You burning up or something?" Marco soon comes into the house with Ferg and Alfonzo, but at the sight of Rasticore, he gives his friends the  _look_. They said nothing and ran away.

"…Who are you." Marco demanded, marching loudly across the house. Each step felt like a booming clap, with his face slowly growing a skull mask, overtaking his glasses. Rasticore recovers from Janna's attack, grinning at the sight before him.

"Ah, so the curse is slowly working." He charges into Marco with his blade, but a bright red blast shoots directly at the lizard. But after a careful slice, it does nothing. Star grits her teeth and leaps in the air.

"NARWAL BLAST!" The princess shouts, sending her iconic spell at the monster but he keeps swatting it away. Star gets sucker punched and flies back, hitting the wall. Rasticore makes a wave blast with his chainsaw, seemingly effecting no one. Marco looks around and notices Star's arms pinned together. He races to help but feels something kick him in the chest.

"I'm taking the princess." Rasticore states coldly, with Star gritting her teeth. Frantic kicks aren't working and despite his rage bursting at the seams, Tom's magic isn't working. The demon looks at Marco with fear, making the boy nod. He does something stupid; taking out his scissors.

" **HEY**." Rasticore turns around, growing a surprised look. " **Put Estrella down. Now.** " Marco felt fire overtake him, with his scissors morphing into a great blade. His mask? Now fully covering his face and vision tinted vivid red.

"How about…no." Rasticore begins walking but notices his arm missing. Soon, the pain becomes active and he screams loudly. Star is in Marco's arms, with the boy gently putting her down. They exchange a look, with Marco walking back toward his target. Charging at fast speeds, he slashes Rasticore again but the creature jumps back. "Interesting…so the demon within released. My brother would love to hear this."

" **Tell Toffee to leave me and my friends alone. Or else."** Marco says in an evil tone, with the lizard leaving with a make-shift portal. The boy soon passes out, feeling drained. "What happened? I feel so…" His vision turns white, passing out.

* * *

Pete and Tom said nothing, completely shocked at Marco's new powers. "The Blood Moon…" They say in unison, walking toward the boy. Knocked out cold, Tom lifts him up and holds a free hand over him.

"Pete…his magic is not stable." Tom says fearfully. "If he turns into  _that_ again, he will lose full control." Pete rubs his chin, snapping his fingers. Marco is placed on the ground, with Pete focusing his own magic onto Marco's face. The mask was still stuck still, but he was able to give it a 'new' purpose.

"Done." He wipes his hands. "Marco will be able to use that power, mainly the sword and 'Blood vision' without turning into that again." Unknowing to the two boy's, was Janna and Star looking in utter confusion. Star for a moment, saw Marco as a heroic knight. Janna though? It reminded her of Zoro films. The princess walks forward, tightly holding her wand.

"Let me heal him." Star ordered, with no objection in sight. Kneeling down, she placed her wand over Marco, mumbling soft chants. She soon begins venting. "You acted like a knight, something I never asked from you Diaz. Honestly? You should have let that lizard creep take me. I only hurt you." She smiles softly soon, watching her best friend slowly breathe in and out. "Rest my bestie."

Janna looks over at the sight and sighs, leaning on a wall. Pete soon joins her and smirks. "What?"

"The boy's magic got unleashed. You felt it." Janna only nods, looking at Jackie's torn up house. "Don't worry, we can fix that."

"Good, Jackie would kill me." Janna darkly chuckles. Pete knows what is on her mind, so he throws his arm around her. "I'm not upset."

"No one can lie to me.  _Yes_. You are upset Janna." She looks away, with Pete sighing. "How many times does that kid have to explain it to you…"

"Just tired of this, you know?" Janna says honestly. "I want all this moon crap to end."

"It won't, so better buckle up for this long ride." Pete says seriously. "But that Rasticore…Toffee sending his brother to attack us this soon is bad."

"I know." The two hear Tom walk up, clenching his demonic fists. "We need to leave this dimension for a few days. Wipe our trail clean."

"Uh…leave this dimension?" Janna asks in confusion. "Dude, we travel across them like  _that_."

Pete and Tom share a smug look, making Janna raise an eyebrow. Tom coughs and folds his arms. "Do you know what time it is?"


	13. Welcome to the Land Ooo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the next few chapters, we will be visiting the world of 'Adventure Time'. The reason? You will see as they continue.

Marco feels strange…as if the past days were a blur in the boy's mind. Rubbing his forehead, it feels rough, like a skull. Remembering that nightmare from the other day, he springs up in fear. "Easy there Skully, nothing to worry about." He looks behind him, spotting Pete smirking. "You should take a look." Marco takes the mirror and is shocked; the top of his face mirrors his 'Blood Moon Ball' mask. The most striking part were his eyes; they were not brown anymore. Rather, they were midnight blue and dark red. They had this glow, showing the magic flowing within the boy.

He put the mirror down, feeling completely shocked. Pete rubbed his neck and pats Marco's back. "Kid, the Blood Moon is…a curse. I didn't think it would affect you  _this_ badly. But thanks to  _Toffee_." Pete clenched his bony fists, making Marco narrow his gaze. "The effects did…this to you. I was able to help, with that mask on your face." Marco touched the mask, gently rubbing it. The surface was hard but smooth at the same time. "That mask will help control the dark magic within you buddy."

"…You helped me again." Marco got up and gave Pete a warm hug. "Thank you…" Pete only hugged back, embracing this bro-hug. They let go and Marco just realized; he is in Tom's Underworld. "Um…why are we at Tom's place?"

Pete chuckles and walks ahead, making Marco confused. "Just follow me." Marco listened and after walking for a few minutes, they enter some odd room. It had a large portal, glowing bright red. Near the portal was his friends. Star, Janna and Jackie were chatting about something while Tom was studying the device. The demon turns around, smirking seeing Marco.

* * *

"Hey dude. Feeling better?" Tom asks kindly, making Marco rub his neck. The boy feels… _strange_ honestly.

"I don't know…barely remember what happened yesterday." Tom's warm face grew serious, making Marco scared. "I did something bad, didn't I?"

"No, you didn't. In fact, you saved Starship from being captured and our lives in general." Marco froze on the spot, shocked hearing this. "See, Toffee's brother showed up and he tried to take Starship. We both got pissed but the demon canceled my magic. For  _some_ reason…the Blood Moon helped you. It turned you into…"

"Some skeleton warrior? I think Pete explained much before." Marco sighed, holding out his hands. Pulling up his sleeve, he is relieved to have his skin still. Tom notices Marco looking at his arm.

"Dude, don't worry so much." Tom waves his hand, making Marco raise an eyebrow. "That mask Pete helped form will ensure you don't go 'kill crazy' or whatever. Besides you got a fire sword now. Take out your scissors." Marco listened to Tom and to his utter shock, the small blade morphed into a long sword that glowed blue flames. "Sick, right?"

"Guess so…" Marco makes the blade grow small and puts the scissors away. "Is Star, Janna and Jackie okay? They were in the fight too." Tom only nods, gesturing Marco to follow him.

* * *

Star feels odd at this point; after healing Marco, she helped him into bed. The boy slept the whole day away and Tom's words struck to her core.

" _You and Marco are cursed…"_

" _The Blood Moon…YOU caused this Tom?!"_

" _WHAT? You calm down_ _ **now**_ _. I've been putting up with A LOT dealing with you and Diaz. So listen to me, got it?"_

" _Fine…"_

" _Sigh, the Moon normally bonds two souls together and that is it. But when some outside force tampers with the moon's innate magic, the users bonded under it's light suffer."_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _Those visions you and Marco got? Marco going all 'Skeleton Warriors' a moment ago? His anger issues rising up again? You're…attraction towards him? All from that Moon."_

" _Um…that last one is my choice Tom."_

" _Really now…"_

" _And I am sorry."_

" _I understand Starship. But Earth isn't safe for us anymore. We need to remove our tracks so Toffee can't follow us, and I know just the help we need. Though we need to visit another dimension."_

" _Easy peasey. Got my scissors."_

" _No, Toffee can track those. I have a special portal in my domain that can let you visit 'core' dimensions. Basically, other versions of Earth and Mewni if that makes sense."_

" _Oh…okay. Don't REALLY get it, but cool. Loves adventure!"_

" _Even when things are at their darkest, you still shine so bright."_

" _My family named me Star for a reason! Um, I think so at least."_

This conversation made Star seriously think about her bond with Marco. Does she  _really_ love him, or was the curse pushing them together, like Marco suggested earlier? She shakes the thoughts away and looks at Tom's portal. Looking at Janna and Jackie, she smirks and begins chatting with them. "Hey girls. You holding up?"

"I'm fine. Threw a couch at a lizard." Janna smirks, folding her arms. "Felt good."

"My dad is scared out of his mind, but after Tom explained everything, he is slightly better with me leaving for a few days." Jackie rubbed her arms. "You guys  _better_ fix my house."

"I will girl, no problemo." Star tapped her wand on her cheek, making Jackie snicker. Janna gives a blank look toward Star, making her ponder something. "Are you okay Janna?"

"Not really…more so when you keep touching Marco like that." Janna mumbles, making Star open her eyes wide. Jackie walks away, waiting to watch the fireworks burst.

"What?! Noooo…I didn't meant to hold him that long! We were both scared." Star said defensively. Janna darkly chuckles, grinning at the princess.

"Really now? I'm sure your  _prince_ is going to be okay." Janna said seething. Star just held on her wand tightly, getting right in Janna'a face.

"I love Marco too Janna! We both came to an understanding and…" Janna only laughed bitterly and using her magic, slightly pushed Star back. "Oooooh….want to fight  _now_ Witch?"

"Bring it princess." Janna clenched her fits, and using her magic, pushed herself toward Star. Marco noticed this fight breaking out from the distance, dashing forward.

* * *

" **ENOUGH** " A loud booming voice commanded. Star and Janna froze on the spot, noticing Marco. Both were surprised to say the least, with his face looking quite different thanks to that top-piece mask. Taking some deep breaths, he sighed. "Why are you two fighting? Need me to explain things again?" They said nothing, making rub his arm. "Look. I love both of you, okay? I accept fully Tom is dating Star and that is  _not a problem_. Janna…" He placed both hands on her shoulders. "What do you want me to do? To prove I really do love you?"

Janna said nothing, just feeling warm at Marco being so close to her. "Um…" Cut her off with a kiss on her lips. They stayed like this for a full minute, holding one another passionately. They let go and Janna gives an honest smile. "…That is Diaz. Thanks…needed the esurience."

"But you aren't a car Troublemaker." The two stayed still for a moment, soon bursting into laughter at Marco's dumb joke. Star watched and felt…anger at the sight.

 _ **If Marco loves you, why isn't he kissing you right now?**_ A voice boomed in Star's head, making her feel surprised.  _ **Look at him, make your move if you REALLY want him.**_  Star shakes her head, trying to silence this strange voice within her.  _ **Willing to lose him forever?**_ Star had enough of this and violently punched her face. Everyone locked their vision on to Star at this point, feeling confused at the princess. Star took a deep breath and sighed, looking at everyone. "I'm fine guys…just…fine." Marco wasn't convinced at all. He closed his eyes.

" _What happened Star?"_

" _Shut up."_

" _Excuse me?"_

" _Shut up Diaz. You have HER now."_

" _Oh…being like this now. Fine."_

Marco opened his eyes and grew a bitter gaze toward his friend. Walking away from Janna, he looked at Tom, folding his arms. "Is the portal ready yet?" Tom noticed the bitter frown etched across Marco's face, making him worried. He only sighed, feeling Star is responsible for this. Tom nodded and continued working on the portal, with Pete locking his vision onto the princess. He saw…something within her. A new 'part' that is slowly waking up. The bony warrior shook his head and walked toward Marco. "That dream you both had, showed a hidden part of yourselves. You both awakened them, but this is bad in Star's case. Don't take what she says seriously." Pete walks off, making Marco confused. Soon though, he realizes exactly what Pete is talking about.

"She…really meant those words then." Marco says in sadness. Shaking off the thought, he stays with Tom, helping with anything. Star looks at Marco, feeling that their bond is changing. Rather than warmth being shared between one another, a chain of doubt was forming between them. Trying to talk to Marco mentally again wasn't working; he kicked her out of his mind.

"Marco…" Star said softly, looking toward an annoyed Janna and a somber Jackie. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Janna said bluntly. "I'm sick of this Moon crap and you likely are too. Just…let's ease up, okay?" Star nodded and the two chatted away. Jackie though? She studied the scene before her, feeling worried.

An hour or so passes, with the portal Tom was working on opening up. "Friends, we are going into a strange world. Like a  _really_ strange place. One where there are candy people!"

"Can we eat them?!" Star asked, mouth drolling. Everyone laughed at the comment but Marco, only folding his arms in anger.

"No, that would be  _killing_ them Mewni Princess." Marco's voice was stern and cold, shocking Star. Even Tom and Pete were surprised at Marco. The boy noticed the looks he got. "I'm walking ahead." He walked into the portal alone, with Janna running after him. Jackie and Pete soon hopped in after, but Star stood still.

"What did you tell him?" Tom said seriously. Getting right Star's face, having one of anger.

"Nothing." Star answered, but Tom didn't buy it one bit. He walked forward toward the portal before stopping directly in front of it.

" **Don't fuck with my friend.** " Tom barked and he marched ahead. Star said nothing, just following her boyfriend into this strange new land.

* * *

As our group of heroes were visiting this strange new world, the brave hero of the land woke up from a violent nightmare. "Oh Glob! What  _was_ that?" He got out of his sleeping bag and looked around his room frantically. Nothing was coming to mind, so he calmed down. "Saw some odd vision of me and FP sleeping underground…gotta ask Jake about this." He jumped out of bed heroically and dashed downstairs holding his trusty demon-sword.

Unknowing to the boy was a friendly vampire 'watching' him. "Oh winey." The vampire cared deeply about her 'minion' and felt his soul twitch with worry. "Better keep an eye on him. Don't want that fire chick burning my minion into ash." She darkly chuckles and flies away.

While this was happening, deep in the fire kingdom, Marco came out of the portal. He looked around with mild confusion, with flaming people walking around. Two guards came up to Marco though, holding flaming swords to his face. "State your business!"

Marco took out his blade and grinned. "Ready to rumble wisps?"

* * *

The land of Ooo was one of…strangeness. You had all kinds of wacky things moving around, but the world was one ripe for grand adventure. The dog named Jake is well aware of this, as him and his adoptive brother Finn the Human have been adventuring for years. Flipping some of his tasty bacon pancakes in the air, he remembers some key moments across their lives. One that haunts the dog was when the Litch attacked again.

Putting down the pan, Jake rubbed his oval head in annoyance. He remembers helping Finn make a dangerous wish and after watching his brother suffer so much…he made a wish himself with the help of a bro named Prismo. The dog chuckles, always liking that guy. His pickles taste amazing. Jake resumes flipping breakfast for the two when some dark feeling got under his skin.

"Can I eat your  _soul_  please?" The voice made a childlike whisper, making the dog scream loudly and jump in the air. The vampire caught the pan and placed it down, turning off the flame. "Hey Jake."

"Marcy! Glob, you scared me…" Taking in deep breaths to calm down, Jake folded his arms. "So, what do you want?"

Marcy just grinned, floating around in the air carelessly while sucking the red out of an apple. The vampire doesn't like eating blood, rather the color red. It's for…personal reasons. "Just messing with ya. Where is the wenne?"

"Right here dudes!" Finn slid the railing and landed right in front of Marcy, grinning stupidly. "Morning guys! Ready for a day of adventure?" Finn, Jake and Marcy all shared friendly smiles; the trio were very close friends. Even though Jake is scared out of his mind of the vampire, he deeply respects her. Finn though? He views Marcy as his best friend next to Jake. Finn smells the air and chaps his lips. "Made your bacon pancakes bro?"

"You know it! Marcy…I can make some for you two.  _If you don't scare me again_." Jake said firmly. Marcy smiled, tapping her chin playfully.

"….Okay." She began floating near Finn before flying toward Jake and hissed. "Or not."

Jake at this point felt like he aged five years from fear. He said nothing and rubbed his forehead, resuming cooking. Finn sat down and munched on the pancake on his plate. "So Marcy, what is a radical dame like you doing here today?"

Marcy smiled, throwing her arm around Finn. "Can't check up on my favorite minion?" Finn raised an eyebrow playfully, with the vampire queen sighing. "Just noticed you having a nightmare. Can read  _souls_  remember?"

"Nightmare?" Jake said fearfully, placing the remaining pancakes on his and Marcy's plates. "What did you dream about bro?"

"Well…" Finn didn't want to recall the dream, but he wanted to be honest with his best friends. Taking a deep breath, he took off his bear hat and let his blond hair breath. "I was dreaming that Flame Princess was dying and I gave up my own air to save her. We both…went to Glob or whatever. It was weird." Jake leaned forward, with Finn smirking. "No, didn't see the Cosmic Owl." Jake pouted, slouching in his seat. The dog knows when that mysterious being appears before someone, it's a vision of great meaning. He decides to say his thoughts, regardless of the owl not showing up.

"Maybe it's a dream about you dating FP!" Jake shouted, making Finn laugh heartily.

"Dude, that's mad junk." He waved his hands, taking a bite out of his food. "Besides, me and FP are cool." Marcy was just smiling, happy Finn was moving on from Princess Bubblegum. Despite having her own relationship with the princess years ago, she was still bitter about how in her mind, she lead poor Finn on. If anything, the vampire queen ponders if she just used Finn as a pawn to protect the Candy Kingdom…wouldn't be outside her morals. Finn notices Marcy in deep thought. "Want me to put some Strawberries on your food?"

"What? Nah." Marcy takes a few bites and pats her chest. "Can eat normal food. Just can't have garlic." Finn and Marcy chuckle, with Jake shaking his head.

'How did we even become friends with a vampire…' the Dog ponders, as he enjoys his breakfast.

* * *

Meanwhile, Marco was having quite the fight. After landing in the fire kingdom and having no one else following, he encountered two guards. They were fighting violently, making wide slashes and jabs. Marco's months of fighting with Star helped, being able to avoid the strikes with little issue. Star… The princess brought out dark thoughts in his mind and his blade glowed a bright blue flame.

" **I won't be used again!** " Marco made a slash with the blade, making the guards back off. The noticed the anger and pain within Marco's eyes. Soon, they put down their blades, studying the boy. They felt bad at this point, knowing he likely means no real harm. Marco noticed this and put his blade away. "Um…sorry. My temper got the best of me."

"No problem." One flame guard said, smirking. "A human that can withstand the flames? We should respect that."

"What?" Marco looked around, realizing he really is in a fire kingdom. "Wow…guess that is the magic working…" He looked back at the guards. "Did you guys see my friends? We were supposed to visit this…where am I anyway?"

"The Land of Ooo, the fire Kingdom specifically." Marco turns around, spotting his friends…and Star. Tom walked up the guards and smirked. "Hey guys, how's the kingdom going?"

"Oh, quite well Prince Thomas. Surprised to see you visit us again…how long has it been?" Tom rubs his neck sheepishly. "I think…five years?"

"Been a while. But I want to get to the Grasslands. So…" They said no more, guiding the group away from the kingdom. Star was at awe, impressed with how the entire place was on  _fire_. Janna and Jackie were a bit confused, as they spotted the talking flames mumbling something and pointing at Marco. Pete only smiled, enjoying being back in the land of Ooo. Tom and Marco were ahead of the pack, enjoying the company of one another.

"Marco…are you okay?" Tom asks sternly. "I mean…"

"No, I'm not okay man." He rubs his arm. "Finding out the one you love just used you sucks. But I don't care, we need to…go were now?"

Tom felt anger dance inside him, with his fears coming true; Toffee has successful festered the seed of 'hate' toward Star within Marco. The demon ponders how to fix this before shaking his head. "We need to find this land's hero."

"Hero?" Star asks from behind, with Marco saying nothing. "Oooooh! I remember something like that on Mewni. We had great queens like Solaria the Monster Carver and Celena the Shy. They were coooool chicks." Marco shook his head and marched ahead. "What?"

Marco turned around sharply and gave a 'don't mess with me' look. "Listen Princess Butterfly. From this point onward, I'm am just your 'knight' that will protect you. Don't talk to me as if we're friends,  _ **got it**_? Or maybe you want to use me for something else…" Jackie and Janna were shocked, surprised Marco would say this about Star. Pete and Tom just sighed, walking near the troubled boy.

"Look." Pete said softly. "I think this world's hero will help you get better." Marco gave a confused look before sighing.

"Thanks man. So…it's that way, right?" Marco points to a large tree house, which Pete nods too. "Okay, I'm walking ahead." The boy walks ahead, feeling intense anger toward Star and fearful of unleashing it at his friends.

"What was that?" Jackie asked with venom laced in her voice. "What did Marco mean by 'use' Star?"

"N-Nothing." Star stuttered, looking away. Jackie only shook her head at this point, walking ahead with Marco. Janna said nothing but gave a look to Star, before joining Jackie. Pete stayed with Star, patting her shoulder. "That was just the dream…I don't think that way…"

"That was partially true Star." Pete says bluntly. "Dreams are a reflection of ourselves, showing a dark part of us we normally don't let out. But, you and Marco are awakening yourselves." He lets go and smirks. "Just be yourself and he will warm up to you again."

"Okay Pete." Star said softly, joining him and Tom. The princess was deep in thought…with that voice coming back.  _ **See? He still cares about you. But he is right. You DO use him. Use him to make YOU happy.**_ Star gritted her teeth.  _ **Come on, you know. He is 'yours'. If he doesn't listen to your commands? Punish him.**_  Star felt tears coming down her face, horrified that…that…these were thoughts she had about Marco in her mind. Pete felt the emotions swell up inside her, with Tom unsure what to do in helping his friends.

* * *

Finn was having a relaxing morning, eating some food with his best friends. After eating, they got around BEMO and had some racing game set up. "Oh come on! That is cheating…" Jake complained, with Marcy grinning, spinning the controller in the air.

"Nah, just being creative mutt." Jake grinned, cracking his knuckles.

"Oh, you are going down vampire!" The two continued playing but Finn heard knocking on his door.

"Wonder who that is…maybe Permeant Butter or something." He opened the door and to his shock was…another Human?! No, three more humans?! "Humans?! I thought I was the  _last one!_ " Marco looked at Finn confused but realized…this is another dimension. Maybe humans were  _rare_. Rubbing his neck, he shugs his shoulders, making Finn sigh.

"Um…hello." Marco holds out his hand. "My name is Marco Diaz and we need some help. You are the hero of this…place. Right?" Finn took his hand and felt a sense of pride coming from Marco. He shook it firmly and smiled.

"Come on in dudes! Yo Jake! Marcy! We got company." Jake and Marcy paused their game and walked toward Finn. Spotting Marco's group, Jake was really confused. Marcy though? She was  _shocked_. Two souls she spotted, being of the blond girl with hearts and the boy with an odd mask…were damaged. This was very odd to her, making the vampire queen tap her chin.

* * *

Sitting in the kitchen, Finn and Jake got everyone some juice. Star sat next to Tom, with Marco standing on the wall, far away from Star. Janna, Jackie and Pete sat down near Marcy, feeling the vampire was cool.

Tom explained to the land's hero the current situation they were dealing with, making Finn rub his head, hat not covering it again. "So…this is your version of the Litch?"

"What?" Star asked, tapping her chin with the wand.

"Some jerk that kills people." Jake said coldly. "Me and my bro went through a lot to kick his butt last time." Finn just chuckles.

"I don't remember most of it though. Jake refuses to tell me the dets! Bro, what happened anyway?" Jake stays mute, making Finn shrug his shoulders. "Whatevs. So what is the deal between you and that guy princess?" Finn asks Star, pointing between Marco and her. "Both of you seem ticked off."

"She uses people Finn." Marco said coldly, making Finn jump, growing a nasty glare toward Star, with memories of Bubblegum playing in his mind.

"Oh…well.  _Princess_ , that isn't cool." Finn says in a serious tone, something Jake and Marcy isn't used too. "I loved someone like that once…and I will never let my heart get used again." Star felt like a bad guy at this point, rubbing her arm.

"Ignore those two." Marcy told Finn, making him raise an eyebrow. "Something else messed with them."

"Okay Marcy." Finn smiled and slugged down his juice. The entire table was surprised by how blunt Marco was, more so Jake and Jackie. The dog thought the princess was a cool chick, after her explaining the magic wand she had. But seeing how hardened this Marco guy was made Jake feel bad for him. Jackie was just annoyed more than anything. After working hard to repair things, Star destroyed Marco's progress again.

Star finally spoke up, having fire in her eyes. "I don't use people. I'm a nice person…unlike some  _jerks_ here." Marco snapped, gritting his teeth. "You are a jerk Diaz. We are best friends!"

Marco marched towards the table and clenched his fists tight, making his mask grow. "You broke my heart, and I know the truth! When you came to Earth, you never saw me as a friend. Just some…some…pawn! Some  _tool_."

"Pift, what about you Diaz. Huh? You think these games are fun for me!" Star held her wand toward Marco, glowing a sickly shade of red. "First we are friends, you say that you like me and then you date Janna?!"

"YOU ARE DATING TOM!" Marco screams, his body slowly burning up. Jake looked horrified, running out of the treehouse. Tom stood on standby, being ready for anything. Jackie joined Jake and ran away, fearful of Marco's rage. Janna stood tall, right next to Marco. Finn and Marcy were just…at aw. Never in the human boy's life did he see such raw emotional pain between two 'lovers'. "Just…if you love me so much…" Tom knew what he was going to say next, but to his surprise, Marco didn't finish. Tears came down Marco's face. "Why are you still here? Just to taunt me more Star?"

"I'm here because you are my friend! I love Earth and my other friends too!" Star said confidently.

"Stop…just. Stop." Marco felt exhausted, collapsing on the floor. "I don't want to suffer anymore. Just…leave me alone Star." Marco curled up in a ball, crying loudly. Finn got to his side, patting his new friend's back. This reminded the boy of a time where…he felt heart broken. The human boy clenched his fists into balls and punched a wall.

"Get out of my house princess." Finn hissed. "I know what he's feeling. It is horrible." Star just marched out of the house, feeling tears coming down her own face. Marcy followed, leaving Marco alone with Tom and Finn.

"Hero…I think I need to explain something." Finn only nods, helping Marco toward his couch. Despite escaping Toffee, personal demons still haunts our heroes, with no clear answer in sight.


	14. Ending The Adventure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last Chapter in this 'cross-over' before we return back to Echo Creek. Hope you all enjoy!

One thought raced through Tom's mind at this very moment in time; he never gets a break. Trying to help his friends get away from Toffee and his forces, got everyone dragged into a conflict with an entire kingdom. Blasting a fire wave at large Banana Guards, he watches them dissolve into mush. Turning to his right, he spots Janna pushing various candy creatures back as she runs across the dining room.

"Watch out losers!" Janna hops on a tray and uses her magic to fly into a giant chocolate bar. The beanie clad girl smirks, at her victory, watching the creature moan from mild pain. Pete was holding his own well too, using various bone-based attacks on larger guards. Jackie was surprisingly putting a fight, landing punches and kicks.

The heroic duos were having the toughest fights though. Marco and Finn were fighting one of the most trusted warriors in the candy kingdom; Rattleballs. This mechanical knight was very skilled with the blade, being able to fend off every strike. Marco's fire slashes almost slashed his blade in half, but it did nothing, sending him back with a well-placed kick.

Star and Jake fended off Bubblegum, using various fire-arms and tools against the two. Jake grew tired of the fight, wrapping Bubblegum up with his elastic skin. Star leaped in the air and spun her wand. "Rainbow Blast Boom!" Star shouts, with Jake releasing Bubblegum once the blast is closer. The Candy Princess feels the impact, dropping her weapon. With the chaos happening, no one noticed Marcy completely gone. She flew up high in the air, watching the fight with disgust.

"Can't believe Bonnie. Fighting those poor newbies. They didn't even do anything! And her trying to taunt  _my_ weenie? I don't think so." She spots Bubblegum kneeling on the ground, with Marco pointing his blade right at her face. She flies back down, joining the others.

* * *

Marco's face was bitter and enraged, with his blade getting hotter as the temper rose. Star aimed her wand at Bubblegum, having similar apathy. "So…willing to help us  _now_?" Marco hissed.

"You are funny." Bubblegum softly chuckled. "The two of you are broken messes, but I can fix you."

"Very funny, you tried to take my  _wand_ lady! I'm not trusting you." Star answered back.

"But you see, I can fix your hearts. No more pain, no more suffering. Doesn't that sound…" Marco had enough, stabbing his blade in her arm, letting the flames melt the gum off her flesh.

"Shut up before you lose an arm." Marco said coldly, with Star looking in horror. He mirrored…how he acted when fighting Ludo's forces. "Nothing can repair my broken heart. And I don't care. Even if Star really  _did_ use me, she didn't mean too. Star is always kind and friendly with me. I have been a jerk toward her recently, but it's because of my visions more than anything. We all have dark sides and clearly, you embraced yours Bubblegum." Marco pulled out the blade.

Star grew a smile on her worn out face. Closing her eyes, she tried something.  _"Marco?"_

" _I'm here Star…we are cool still."_ He opens his eyes, sword still aimed at Bubblegum. Marcy pushed him back though, helping Bubblegum up. "What is happening  _now_?"

"Ease up dude. She learned her lesson.  _Right_ Bonnie?" Marcy said sternly, with the princess groaning. "Whatevs. I will keep an eye on her for now. You and Finn take everyone out of here."

"Okay Marcy. Nice meeting you!" Star waved, as the entire group fled the Candy Kingdom. Finn and Jake stopped though, looking at Bubblegum in utter contempt. Finn walked closer, looking right in the monarchs face.

"All this time, I thought you was a friend. Someone that truly cared about me. But I was wrong…just a pawn. A tool to make you happy. I will still defend this kingdom, as I'm a hero. But…we are done." Finn walked off, with Jake following suit.

"I messed things up…I let science cloud my judgement." Bubblegum said in defeat. "Those new guys were nice too…"

"Well, I know you. Don't mess with  _my_ Finn again, got it Bonnie?" Marcy said sternly. Bubblegum chuckled, growing a smile. Getting up, she rubbed some residue of a Banana Guard over her wound, slowly recovering.

"Emotions are funny. Shame I lost most of mine." Bubblegum said with mild sadness. Marcy just stood by her friend, hoping she really doesn't turn dark.

* * *

Running away from the Candy Kingdom, Finn feels anger course through his body. Marco notices and runs alongside him. "I know you aren't okay man. If you want to vent, I'm here for you."

"Thanks Marco." Finn said with a smile. "You know, glad I met you dude."

"Same here." The fist bump as they jump over a tree, as they are all running toward Flame Princess's home. "But sorry for…hurting Bubblegum. I felt so…"

"She pushed you. And had it coming." Finn said coldly, which Marco understood. "I can't believe her! All this time, she never really cared for me…"

"You know…I don't know her. But if she mirrors Star to some level…she has her heart in the right place but doesn't know what to do with it." Finn froze on the spot, with Marco stopping. "I won't lie, could be dead wrong saying this. I think she still cares about you Finn. Just…not the way you want. And that is okay, as you have someone else to fill that void." Finn took in Marco's words before forming a smile.

"You're smart dude. Thanks." The rest of the run was silent, with Star using Cloudy to fly in the sky. Jake had Jackie, Pete and Janna on his back. Tom was just enjoying flying in the air, loving how it bushes against his demon horns. One thought raced across the entire group; this was the best moment in this long adventure so far.

* * *

Flame Princess was relaxing in her make-shift home. Making a 'home' using wood piles, she smiles, remembering the one boy that helped her. Finn…the name makes her flaming heart get filled with warmth. Being accepting of her regardless of how she harms him. Despite how 'evil' she is. The human boy has a powerful bond with her, one she refuses to let fizzle out. Her thoughts get clouded, noticing a wave of people coming toward her. Instantly, she grows quite large and towers over the group of heroes.

"Wow! This chick is  _hot_!" Janna jokes, earning a glare from Jackie. The two leap off Jake, with Pete folding his arms. Star gets off Cloudy, looking confused at the flaming creature.

"Sooo…you Flame Princess?" Star asks casually, with the fire creature looking at the princess in confusion.

"You…have…magic?" She says softly, noticing the wand. Tom soon comes down, landing right in front of her. Flame Princess is shocked to see this familiar face again, shrinking to give Tom a bone-crushing hug. "Tommy! I haven't seen you in ages!"

"I know Flame. Nice to see you again. Didn't burn any forests while I was gone?" FP pouted looking away from Tom. "Okay, but I'm happy to see you. Also…" Finn and Marco come join everyone. "Your boyfriend wants to say hi."

Flame Princess and Finn tackle each other into a hug, and for one moment, Marco sees a vision in his mind.

" _Ugh…what happened?"_

" _M-Marco? You are alive!"_

" _Star! Hey, take it easy, my bones still hurt from that blast."_

" _Don't do that again silly…"_

" _I won't…"_

He feels tears coming out of his mask, before wiping them away. Walking up to Finn and Flame, he spots the boy all burned up. "You okay man? Um…" He turns toward Star. "Is there something you can do to help Finn out Star? I mean…hugging something made of complete  _fire_ has to hurt. Uh, no offense or anything Flame Princess."

Star taps her wand, wondering a spell that could work. "Finn, I know something. But…you willing? The last time I used a spell on someone, they grew a monster arm."

"That I still  _have_ 'sleeping' inside me Star." Marco playfully teased. The princess blushed, feeling surprised by Marco…well, acting like her friend again. "But you are better with your magic now."

"Yeah yeah…" Star stands right near Finn, focusing her magic intently. "Elemental Protection Immunity Blast." Star blasts Finn with the magic, with the boy glowing blue. "…Did it work?"

Flame Princess tackles Finn into a kiss on his lips, making the boy feel completely shocked. Letting go of Finn, he feels…no pain. He grins, giving Star a thumbs up. "Thanks guys…that was…mathematical!"

"Oh Finn." Flame Princess holds on to his arm, with the two sitting down, holding one another. Marco wants to be happy for his friend, but watching this reminds the boy of Star…for some reason. Walking toward Tom, he asks the big question.

"Um…should we head home? I mean, we have been away for a while." Tom just nods in response, holding out his hands. Focusing on his 'Underworld', he makes a portal appear. "Great! We should say our goodbye's first."

"Shame we got no anti-tracker thing…" Jackie mumbles, folding her arms.

Janna only nods, turning toward Pete. "Can you do something about Toffee's tracking stuff?"

"Not really sadly." Pete simply shrugs and walks toward Tom. "But I agree, we should leave. Don't want to fight those Candy people again."

"Candy people?" Flame Princess said softly. "What did they want anyway?" Finn froze, unsure if he should tell his girlfriend the truth. Turning toward Marco, he sighs.

"Bubblegum wanted to capture you. And…she wanted me to do it. I refused and with my friends help, we got her to buzz off. She  _ **won't**_ bother you. I won't let her." Finn looks into FP's amber eyes, making this promise. She smiles and hugs him tight. "It will be okay. How about we give our new friends a goodbye party!"

"Yeah!" Jake and FP shouts in unison. Tom and Pete shrug their shoulders and soon everyone begins dancing to music. Tom takes out his phone, blasting the Love Sentence song 'Just Friends', which everyone seems to enjoy.

* * *

Watching the night sky, Marco sighs. This whole adventure in Ooo gave him time to think…about everything. His emotions, his bonds…what to do next. "Mind if I join you Wild Man?" He hears Star ask from behind. Marco nods, with Star sitting next to him. "I'm sorry."

"No, you didn't do anything. I was foolish to believe in Toffee's vision." Star shook her head, curling up into a ball.

"Part of me…really thinks those things. And it angers me greatly." Marco patted Star's back, giving a warm smile.

"Hey, part of me wanted to kill you and you are nice enough to speak with me still." He shoots a toothy grin, making the princess giggle. "Just wish things were normal again."

"Fighting Ludo's monsters  _isn't_ normal Marco." Star jokes, with Marco just shaking his head. Leaning back, he looks directly into Star's face.

"More normal than feeling confused about my best friend. Love, Hate, something in-between….I don't want to deal with this confusion anymore. I feel…conflicted Star."

Star at this point felt tempted to outright kiss Marco, despite the fact she _knew_  it was wrong. "I don't feel conflicted though." Star gave into her desires and kissed Marco on the lips, making him feel shocked. He wanted to push her back…but he just stayed still. Star stopped, looking at the baffled and confused Marco.

"That…was one of the most insane moves you have ever pulled Star." Marco said in shock, making Star rub her arms. "But it was needed. Now, I have one question for you. What do you want?"

Star thought hard, thinking and rattling her brain for an answer. She wanted to scream  _MARCO_ but part of her said 'Don't do that'. She didn't want him to be unfaithful to Janna. "I can't answer…"

"You can, but don't want people hurt." Marco said, making Star's eyes grow wide. "I understand…but did this whole thing give closure?"

"…I think." Star held her chest, feeling warm. "It did. I don't feel confused anymore."

"Good…now, I'm going to prey Janna doesn't rip my head off and feed it to a candy monster." Marco turns around and feels scared. Janna and Jackie were watching them, smirking.

"Well…seems we have  _cheaters_. What do we do to them Hailstorm?" Janna playfully teased. Marco gulped and started running, with Janna chasing after him. Jackie just smiled toward Star, folding her arms.

"Got your answers now princess?" Jackie asks, with Star nodding. "Good. Janna was oddly cool with it. She even took pictures of you kissing Marco." Star looked horrified, knowing what would happen if Tom saw them. As if Jackie read her mind, she held a picture out. "Wonder what will happen if a demon saw this?"

"Tom would burn Marco to  _ash_!" Jackie just shook her head. "What?"

"No, he would be mad with  _you_ Star. Not him. Marco has made it clear time and time again, he wants to move on." Jackie sat down next to Star, looking at the bright sky above. "But you clearly want Marco. Just...you should call things off with Tom. At least, be his friend."

"You really think so? What about Marco! He loves Janna and…" Jackie raised an eyebrow.

"…he breaks up with Janna to be with you? Shallow much?" Star pouted. "Look girl, you know what you want. Marco. Now, you wait." Jackie lays on the soft ground, sighing contently. "He waited for you, so now it's your turn princess."

Star joined Jackie, laying on the ground. She sighed, with it feeling really cushy. "It's like I'm sleeping on a pillow."

"We are in an insane world princess. Don't question things." Jackie winked, with Star smiling. She closes her eyes, knowing the future is much brighter now.

* * *

Marco and Janna playfully raced with one another, enjoying this time of bonding after much adventure. Janna tripped Marco and he tumbled into the beanie clad girl, causing the two to giggle. "Looks like the hero tripped."

"I'm no hero though Troublemaker." Marco grinned before his face went downcast. Janna sighs, throwing her arm around Marco's shoulder. "I'm sorry about…"

"It's fine." Janna said bluntly, making Marco flinch. "I watched  _her_ start the kiss and you doing nothing. Staying still like a block of wood…I thought you loved her Diaz?"

"I  _do_ but doesn't she realize we are  _dating_ people?!" Marco shouts, making Janna get a look of surprised. "If Tom finds out…he is going to be so hurt. Not to mention how  _you_ are mad with me."

"Did I say anything Safe Kid?" Janna said softly, with Marco holding her hand gently.

"No, but I know your emotions. Eclipse Moon, remember?" Janna sighed, leaning on Marco's shoulder. "I just wish…if Star really felt this way about me, she said it sooner."

"Would stop the headache many of us deal with now." The two chuckle softly. "You think our new friends will be cool? I mean…they are stuck dealing with that creepy gum lady."

"Janna." Marco places both hands on her shoulders. "We are now friends with a vampire, human hero, a girl that is  _literally on fire_ and a magical transforming dog." They stood still for a moment, allowing Janna to snicker. "Yeah, don't worry much."

"Okay bad boy." The two looked up at the sky, watching the moon shine bright. To the two's surprised, no Eclipse Moon was in sight. This caused one thought to ponder in Janna and Marco's mind.

" _Did the Eclipse Moon vanish?"_

* * *

After having a grand party, Finn called up two friends. "Hey Marcy! Our new friends are leaving soon. Get over here when you can. Also, can you get Ice King?" Marcy chuckled at Finn, making the boy roll his eyes. "He won't kidnap Star…I think he won't anyway."

"Okay Finn, coming over now." She hung up, watching over Bubblegum laying in her bed, tired after the day's events. "I'm not taking you to see them."

"Give them this." Bubblegum hands Marceline two small devices. "One of them goes toward Marco and his friends…the other is for Finn. It will help him avoid getting pain when touching Flame Princess."

Marcy looked at shock, holding the two devices tightly. "You were working on helping Finn? I thought…"

Bubblegum giggled, coughing slightly. "I do care about Finny. He honestly is my hero. Just…didn't want to lose him." Marcy smirked, patting her friends soft gooey hair. "Hope when those new guys visit the kingdom again, it's more peaceful."

Marcy gets ready to fly, looking back on her close friend. "Don't say 'experiment' again when meeting new people. Scares them off you know?" She gave a playful wink, leaving Bubblegum to her own thoughts.

* * *

Marco, Star and everyone else gathered near a flaming portal Tom just created, getting ready to say their goodbyes. "So…um, nice seeing you all." Tom waved slowly, hopping into the portal first. Pete smirked, shaking his head.

"Be careful Flame Princess, and watch over her Finn." The Hero of Ooo, playfully patted his chest. Jake only threw his arm around Finn, with the two brothers grinning stupidly. Pete turned toward the sky, noticing two figures coming down. "Ah, seems that Simon and Marceline are here."

"Simon?" The white-bearded man, says in confusion. That name  _is_ confusing to the Ice King, ruler of the Ice Kingdom. He has a lovely army of penguins and formed a 'friendly rivalry' with Finn & Jake. The heroes view Ice King as a friend…even though he still causes trouble from time to time. "That name is stupid…Marcy asked me to come here, telling me a princess is single!"

"Uh…" Star slowly backed away, noticing the Ice King grinning. "Ice Blast!" She blasts the wizard into a block of ice, which he slowly breaks out of.

"Wow, you love Ice too!? We have  _so_ much in common." Star begins running, with Ice King flying around. Marco leaps in front of Star though, holding out his hand.

"Listen dude, she is fourteen." Ice King instantly deflated, backing away slowly. "…Sorry man."

"It's cool. Names Ice King." Marco shakes his hand, with Star slowly studying the man. He had a soft and kind face, with his eyes having this lost look.

"Soooo…can we be friends?" Star asks softly, with the Ice King tackling her into a hug. "Yee!"

"That was  _strong_ ice girl, gotta tell me how that ice gun works." Ice King asks kindly, pointing toward Star's wand.

"We have to leave now though, but I promise we will come back!" Star looked at all her new friends when saying this. Marcy soon floats toward Marco, passing him a small box.

"What is this?" He taps the front of it, blinking rapidly. "Wait…did…"

"She is a good person Marco." Marcy gave a playful wink, making the boy smile back. "You guys need to leave I guess. Nice seeing you. Don't be strangers. We  _promise_ not to eat your souls."

"Or freeze you into ice." Ice King comments and soon looks at Star. "Or Kidnap you."

"And not sent you on fire." Flame Princess jokes.

Jake shakes his head. "You guys are something." Finn and his friends wave goodbye with everyone but Marco leaving. He turns toward the portal, and looks back at Finn. Walking up to his new friend, he passes him the other box Marcy gave him.

"This is a gift from Bubblegum, I think it will help if Star's spell wares off." Finn's eyes grew wide. "Remember what I told you bro?"

Finn smiles, holding the device tight. "Yeah man. Don't go all donk again."

"Hopefully that won't happen again." Marco takes out his blade, with Finn mirroring him. They swing the blades toward one another, with them clashing.

"Bros for Life!" They shout in unison. Jake only smiles, feeling overjoyed that Finn made a new friend that mirrored him so closely. Marco puts his sword away, saluting as he jumps into the portal. The human boy only smiles, looking up at the sky.


	15. Princess Butterfly and Prince Diaz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adventure Time arc ends and we soon see new dynamics without our team of heroes. How will these new relationships change things? Find out as the story continues.

Coming through the portal back to the Underworld, he feels content. Not only with the device within his hands, but from also meeting another kindred spirit. Finn the Human…he hopes to meet him again. Looking ahead, he spots friends. Tom and Pete folded their arms, smirking toward Marco. Jackie and Janna were smiling, relieved to be back 'home'. Star though? She had this lost look on her face, as if in deep thought. Marco walked forward and held the object in his hands toward the group. "Seems like our adventure was successful."

Tom grabs the device and begins playing with it. Something surrounds the entire group, having a small electric field before vanishing. "Huh…so it seems to work?"

Pete closed his eyes, trying to feel the magic within Marco and Star. To his shock…he can't feel it anymore. "It really worked…"

"Yes!" Marco fist pumped, growing a wide smile. Star and Janna giggled, enjoying the antics of Marco. "Now we don't have to worry about Toffee for a while."

"He knows where we live though Marco…" Star answers, deflating Marco. "But hey bestie, its alllll good. We had fun during that adventure."

Marco puts on a smile. "I guess so." The two feel their bond restoring once more, though some worry was still within each of them. Star for her future and Marco for what he should do next. Janna studies the pair and sighs. The beanie clad girl honestly wonders how long her and Marco will be together, more so with Star clearly showing her attraction toward the boy.

"So, ready to head to Earth love birds?" Janna teased, making Star have a vivid shade of red on her face. Marco looked annoyed more than anything, folding his arms in anger. "Just kidding…not really."

"Whatever Troublemaker." Marco said in mild annoyance. "But I agree. Need to fix up Jackie's house." Jackie just remembered this and groaned loudly.

"My dad is going to be  _pissed_ for the house being a mess." She slouches forward, with Pete patting her back. "Going to help fix it bones?"

"Maybe…" He smirked. Marco took out his scissors and made a portal to Earth. Everyone left for Jackie's house but Tom and Star.

* * *

Marco  _knew_ his demon friend needed to know the truth, specifically that 'thing' Star did before. "Tom…Star needs to tell you something." Star looked shocked, looking away from her demon boyfriend. "We have to tell him Star. He  _should_ know."

"Sigh…I kissed Marco." She closed her eyes, expecting Tom to blow up. The demon felt like blowing up honestly, as after all this time…he didn't think Star would  _kiss_ Marco. But…he knew this whole situation was stressful for the princess too. After a full minute of painful silence, Tom made a soft laugh. "You…you aren't mad? I would be…"

"No Starship, surprised this didn't happen sooner to be honest." Marco's jaw dropped, making the demon smirk. "You should have known something like this would happen Diaz. I mean, you two  _did_ spend half the day holding one another before." Marco slouched forward, rubbing his mask in annoyance.

"…How did I get in this mess?" He moaned, getting a confused look from Star. "I grew feelings and it exploded so badly!"

"Marco, it's cool." Tom pats his shoulder. "I'm not mad. In fact…I think…me and Starship should break up." Marco and Star looked equally shocked, unsure how to react to this. "I have been calm and collected all this time, realizing something. I can't be with someone romantically, if they don't love me back."

Star said nothing but gave a small smile toward Tom. "…Thank you Tom." Marco looked at his best friend in surprise. "But I want to be friends still."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." The two magical beings gave a powerful hug, charged with warm emotions of equal understanding. Star is now unbounded from a relationship, letting her heart feel newfound freedom. Tom is sad, but feels this move is important.

Marco felt his heart flutter, both from panic and…joy? He does love Star…a lot. But now what? He loves Janna too and he would never want to hurt her. The boy holds his head tight, kneeling on the ground. "Keep…control…stupid…heart…" Marco feels fire rise up inside him, with the mask growing over his face. Star places her hand on his shoulder, pulling him up. "Star?"

"I'm doing this for myself Marco." She gave a confident smile, something that clams Marco down somewhat. The mask returns to only covering his eyes and he looks toward Tom.

"Why are you doing this Tom? I thought…" The demon just pulled Marco into a bro hug, patting his back.

"I don't want neither of you to suffer anymore." Marco soon embraces the hug hearing this, holding Tom tight.  _Neither_ … That word rings in Marco's mind, wondering if all this time…

"Come on Marco! We gots a house to fix up." Star jumps into the portal, leaving Tom and Marco alone. The demon gives a focused look at Marco. They share a silent conversation, one both equally understood. This made Marco look down, rubbing his arm. Tom just placed a warm hand on Marco's shoulder, smiling wide. The two walked together through the portal, ready for a visit to Earth.

* * *

Coming back to Earth, the team immediately began work on fixing Jackie's house. It was surprisingly not that torn up, with only part of the roof missing and some pictures ripped. Mr. Thomas was quite annoyed, glaring at Marco and Tom specifically. The two boy's slowly begain work hammering and using magic to fix things up, with Janna and Pete using their own magic to help re-paint some area. Star and Jackie were moving garbage away, with the princess having a beaming smile the entire time. Jackie wonders what happened to cause this, so she prodded. "Okay Star, you are  _really_ happy. Spill."

"I took your advice girl." Jackie's eyes grew wide before a proud smirk painted itself on her face. "Now, I will wait."

"Good work girl." Jackie held out her palm, with Star hi-fived. "Tom took it well?"

"That is the funny thing,  _he_ broke up with me." Jackie's wondered what that implied. The girl pondered but soon gave up, not bothering to overthink things too much. "But we are friends still. Marco's reaction was…odd."

"Wait…Marco watched this happen?!" Jackie dropped her bag, with Star nodding. "Great…that kid is now even MORE confused. Did you tell him…"

"I told him…this was for myself. Not him." Star said with a stern tone. "I love him, but he doesn't get it. I'm dealing with this Moon junk too. I am tired of being on the receiving end of everything." Her tone lost its happy edge, growing bitterer. "I know he doesn't mean too…but I'm tired of being the bad guy."

"You aren't though Star." Jackie patted Star's back.

"I felt like it though, and I hate that feeling." Star closed her eyes, with that dark voice ringing in her mind. "Marco doesn't get I'm a princess." Jackie let go, feeling something…off. "I can be with whoever I want. I want  _him_. If he doesn't want me back? His problem." Star threw one of the filled garbage backs and chucked it in the air. Taking out her wand, she shoot a green blast of magic at it, with it dissolving in the wind.

"Star…" Jackie said softly, with the princess returning a smile.

"It's fine. I have a right to be upset too." Star's face had a smile, an confident one. Jackie didn't know what to feel at this point, so she just smiled back at her friend.

* * *

Unknowing to both of the girls, was Marco watching the scene at the door's opening. He felt…horrible to put it lightly.

"I…I really am a jerk." He rubbed his mask, trying to dial back this knot in his chest. Janna noticed and threw herself on Marco. "Hey Janna."

"It's about the princess again?" Marco nods with Janna sighing. "Well, I'm done cleaning, so let's chat hot head."

Marco and Janna walk toward the backyard, sitting on some lawn chairs. The place was spotless, thanks to the cleaning done by Tom and Pete before. The two sat still for a full two minutes, enjoying the silence in the air. Janna could tell the swelling emotions in Marco's heart, with guilt and anger being the main ones. But…they were towards himself, not Star. "You regret anything?"

"No, I don't Janna." Marco said sternly, folding his hands together. "But you should know this; Star and Tom broke up, with me watching them. You know what that means?"

"That means Star is sending a message." Janna said proudly. "That girl…"

"Not only that." Marco's expression sours, looking focused at some swing set. "She is embracing her darkside. Star feels she's above me now." Janna looked shocked, not fully believing Marco.

"Jeez Diaz." She slaps Marco's back hard, making the boy shriek slightly. "Star is just fed up is all…"

"What should I do?" Marco asks pleadingly. "I have no clear answer and this is really bugging me."

Janna looks at her charm, playing with it fondly. "Maybe us not seeing the Eclipse Moon was for a reason Marco." He turns toward Janna, with her taking the necklace off. "Here, give this to her." Marco holds the moon necklace, and gives Janna a baffled look. "Were taking a break Diaz."

The boy feels tears of sadness come down his face, angered this is happening. "But…but…"

"It's fine…this is needed. Be with…" Marco grits his teeth and slams his face within a hand. "Marco?"

"Just…why can't things be simple. I don't want to break your heart. I'm sorry….I'm sorry…" Janna feels bad, as she knows Marco didn't want to hurt anyone. She gives Marco a warm hug, calming the boy down. "Why can't things be simple? I do love you Janna."

"But you  _do_ love Star." Janna kisses Marco's cheek, resuming hugging him. "It's fine. Honestly."

"You want to rip Star's head off." Janna let's go and bursts into laughter. "I know you trickster."

"Yeah, yeah…" Janna smiles, looking sheepishly in her hands. "So dude, give that thing to her. Make it official."

"…You sure about this?" Marco asks seriously, with Janna only nodding. "I hope I'm not making a giant mistake."

"I will have my stand ready tomorrow Diaz." She points at Marco sternly. "Charging ten bucks for advice now." Marco snickers and gives Janna a warm hug again. The two stay like this for a few minutes, feeling blue light hitting them, cementing their powerful friendship.

* * *

Pete and Tom were sitting down on a couch inside Jackie's house, relaxing after cleaning up. "Man, my back hurts Pete."

"Really bro? You are a  _demon_. Lifting junk should be easy." Pete smirked, making Tom playfully punch him. "Shocked honestly you broke up with Star."

Tom sighs, rubbing his horns. "Just…I think her and Diaz are ready. Maybe this will fix things." They spot Marco walking into the room, oddly somber about something. He throws himself over the couch, with Janna's necklace dangling from his hand. "Wow…so Janna called it quits with you too?"

"Yep." He holds up the necklace. "I'm going to do something stupid guys. You aren't going to kill me?"

"I didn't all this time dude, so go for it." Tom slugged down some soda, which he took a few minutes ago from Jackie's fridge. "Sure she's getting tired of waiting anyway."

"Yep." Pete nods. "Now, time to be 'Prince Diaz of Earth' dude." Marco snickered at the comment and grew a stupid grin. "I like that. Going to ask her in a special way?"

"After all the shit that went down? I would be a fool to just ask Star up front like this." Marco cracked his fingers and dashed out the door. Tom grinned and sighed contently.

* * *

Marco Diaz felt no more confliction within his heart. No more anger. No more regret. What he was going to do right now, this very moment, was going to push him on a new direction. Running back to his house, he holds his blades tight, grinning madly. Nothing was in his way anymore and he will make his best friend the happiest girl in Echo Creek tonight. But some stuff needs to be done first.

Dashing into the house, he begins frantically cooking dishes. Nachos, various 'sugaritos' (those disgust the poor boy), and even an odd Mewni Dish he read about. After getting all the food cooked, he grabbed his blade and sliced a portal to Mewni. "I know what she will love." Marco leaped into the portal and was in the Mewni throne room. River and Moon were present, having shocked expressions. Marco bowed before them, having an honored look on his face. "Hello King and Queen Butterfly. I am here to find something for your daughter. She…means a lot to me."

River just smirks, folding his arms. "Pumpkin finally chose you after all…" He gets up and slaps the boy hard in the back. "But what's that on your face?" Marco was going to open his mouth but Moon gave a worried expression.

"The Blood Moon deeply affected you Marco…I have no way to heal its effects." She looked downcast, but Marco shoot a playful smile back, confusing the Queen. "You aren't concerned?"

"I have been dealing with this Blood Moon stuff for weeks now. And…" He takes out his scissors, morphing them into a flaming blade. "…it seems to make me stronger in the end anyway. I had help." He points to his face-mask. "So I am okay. Star is fine too, so don't worry your highness. I am not here for that though. Can I be guided to a place where I could get a rare jewel for Star?"

Moon studied Marco intently, narrowing her gaze. Marco did not flinch or show one ounce of fear, making the Queen smile. "Of course Marco. At the edge of town, there is a jeweler that helps forge enchanted gems for the Butterfly family. Visit him and he will help you."

"Thank you Queen Moon and King River." Marco bows and dashes into the Mewni town, having a wide smile on his face. Moon and River exchange looks; the former concern, the later pride. Both monarchs felt something new within the human boy, and were wondering what this means for their daughter.

* * *

"So this is the place…" Marco looks at the building and it appeared quite fancy. Various posters and swords were sticking out of the walls. "I suppose 'jeweler' on Mewni also means 'weapon' blacksmith." He knocks on the door and it opens, exposing a tall man. He wore a dark grey apron, having thick brown goggles. Taking them off, he was baffled to say the least. This boy in front of him mirrored a prince, with his face-mask adding to the look.

"Prince…um. What is your name?" Marco was confused by the 'prince' title but he figured his Blood Moon Ball outfit gave that impression.

"I'm Marco Diaz of Earth." The man perked up, hearing about some human helping their princess often.

"Come in boy. Mewni's Princess views you highly." Marco is surprised to hear this but only nods. Walking into the room, he is shocked to say the least. Jewels, swords, shields and even armor pieces were lined up neatly along the walls. "SON! We got a costumer."

"Coming dad…" The boy came down, mirroring Marco in age. He wore a basic white shirt and mild armor. His brown hair and scuffed cheeks gave the picture of a hard working apprentice. "Uh, who is this dad?"

"Steven, this is Marco Diaz. He wants to get the Princess something…let me guess, a ruby ring?" The man smirked, with Steven folding his arms smugly. Marco was shocked…but soon sighed. He nodded 'yes', with the two perking up at the request.

"We have something like that ready." Steven dashes toward the back of the store, digging out a small black box. 'Hope this is good…I think this guy is a prince.' Steven returns and hands the black box to his father. He opens it and pats his son's head proudly. Steven smiles in response and turns toward Marco. "This is the Ruby Ring of Light. It is a rare gem."

"It has no magical effects, right?" Marco asks casually, with Steven shrugging his shoulders. "Okay, so how much…"

"On the house." Steven's dad answers, shocking Marco. Money fell out of his hands in utter surprise. Picking it up, he neatly puts his money back. "I have a good feeling about you kid."

"Are you sure? I mean I have 300$. Unless Earth money means nothing…" Marco scratches his neck, feeling stupid about not thinking things through. Steven and his dad only laugh in response, enjoying the confusion from Marco.

"It's fine." Steven said with a smile. "Just give this to your princess." Marco blushed hearing this, accepting the ring from the two kind blacksmiths. Marco bowed to them before running off.

* * *

Now back on Earth, Marco places box in his pocket, ready for his next plan of action. He takes out a piece of paper and begins writing something down. After a few minutes and crumbled papers later, he nails his message to Star. "Great, now one more thing." Marco runs outside in his back yard and cracks his knuckles.

Hours pass and Star after hanging out with Jackie for a bit, comes back home. She spots the Diaz House have dimmed lights but something catches her eye. A letter with vivid red rose sitting on top of it. The Princess picks up the letter and her face turns a shade of scarlet. 

_Hello Star,_

_Tonight I have something special planned, to make up for everything the past few days. I haven't been treating you right, as well…you aren't just my best friend. You are the Princess of Mewni. So, tonight is an um…what do you call it? Get together? Hanging out? The word is slipping my tongue. Truly._

_Anyway, I hope you will spend some time with me tonight. I promise it will be worthwhile. You are very special to me and tonight, I will prove that to you. You deserve the world and tonight, I will treat you like the amazing princess you are._

_Love,_

_Marco Diaz, Your Bestie_

Star felt her face heat up reading this letter. The princess thinks in her mind why Marco would do something like this if he is dating Janna. "Unless…" She puts everything together; Janna ended things like how Tom did with her. "They ended things with us…so Marco and I could be together?" The princess looks over the letter one more time, noticing something specific.  _I treat you like my best friend, but really you are the Princess of Mewni. Tonight, you will be treated like one_. "He overheard my talk with Jackie…that scoundrel." Star smirked and looked at her Blood Moon dress. "I will surprise Marco."

Marco was sitting outside, making sure the table cover was positioned  _just_ right. He is letting his 'Safe Kid' side come out a bit, trying to ensure everything is perfect. "Just wish I could have done something like this for Janna…hopefully I can make it up to her in the future." He has his smile still, knowing his friend was the one that called things off.  _She_ wants him to be with Star. And he will respect his friend's wishes, as deep down within Marco, he wants that too. He has been wanting this for a long time now. Looking over the table, he spots the rainbow flower he found on his way back home. "Wonder why this popped up near a bush… It looks nice, so hope Star likes it."

Meanwhile, Star was getting ready for her 'date' with Marco. Having her hair in a bun and wearing a royal blue ball gown, she felt like a princess. Star has been feeling 'down' for a while now, so she plans on enjoying her night greatly. Glossaryck was watching Star get ready, noticing her magic being very stable. "So you are going to date that Diaz kid after all?"

Star jumped slightly, with her hair falling down. She grunted, zapping it with her wand to fix it up. "Yes, I think so." Star answered confidently. Glossaryck grinned, folding his arms. "The kid even talked with your parents, trying to find some special object for you." Star froze, looking at her mentor with wide eyes.

"He went…to Mewni for me?" Star said dumbfounded, with him only nodding.

"The kid spent the past four hours getting things as I quote 'special' for you.  _What_ exactly did you tell him? I mean, I know the kid loved you for months now. But never saw him this frantic before." Star sighs, slouching forward.

"I was annoyed, as this whole Moon thing made everyone view me as the bad guy. Getting sick of that, I vented toward my friend and Marco overheard I think. Tom broke up with me and I'm assuming Janna broke up with Marco. Our friends…want us to be together." Star holds her heart, letting her marks glow bright.

"Mmm…interesting. Both you and the boy have a strong bond again. Impressive, as you are both deeply tainted." Glossaryck smirks warping away.

* * *

He appears in the backyard, watching Marco intently. "Kid, I think you're ready."

Marco isn't shocked to see the blue magic man, in fact, he asked him for  _help_ getting this ready. Mainly the Mewni Dish. "I promise to get you that triple-stack of puddings tomorrow. Thank you for all your help Glossaryck."

"No problem kid. But…you are deeply tainted. This won't fix things." Marco sighed, gently rubbing his mask. "However…you are being a real prince Marco."

"No I'm not." Marco said sternly, looking away shamefully. "I was a jerk to Star for a long time now…I want tonight to be special for her."

"But kid, you had a  _reason_ to be mad." Marco raised an eyebrow. "She  _did_ break your heart and the Moons are  _very_ aggressive. Speaking of Moons, what happened with the Eclipse Moon?"

"Oh…" Marco shows the blue man Janna's necklace. "Me and Janna broke up, giving this back to me. Last night before we came back here, we didn't see it." Glossaryck folds his arms, smiling softly. "That is good?"

"It means your heart made its choice." He warps away, leaving Marco confused somewhat. He shakes the thought away, and continues getting things set up. Fixing plates and forks, Marco is blissfully unware of Star Butterfly watching him intently at work.

Star looks over at Marco and feels…something different within him. He looks confident with his feelings, proud of himself from body language and the words in his letter echoing in her mind.  _Tonight, you will be treated like a Princess_. She felt overjoyed that finally, he is doing something she wanted him to do since the Blood Moon Ball; embrace his honest emotions.

The Princess knows he still loves Janna much, but the fact he denied his affections toward her both saddened and angered Star. But now Marco is fully enjoying his feelings toward Star. This deeply warms the princess's heart.

"Kid, you are just watching the boy? Go to your prince already. We waited long enough." Glossaryck pushes Star outside, surprising Marco. The two just looked at one another, wondering what this night will bring.

 


	16. The Blood Lovers

Star and Marco were just locked towards one another, visions clouded by the appearance of each other. Standing under the warm light of a moon, they took in their respective features. Star's golden blond hair shined brightly, with her blue ball gown glittering in the air; Marco was awestruck. Unlike before, Marco felt confident when looking at Star. He walked closer to her and gave an honest smile. "You look beautiful princess."

The princess blushed, smirking at how confident Marco is being towards her. "You don't look half bad yourself. That mask really does match with your outfit." It really did for Star, as the Blood Moon Ball outfit Marco has mirrored an undead prince. The boy rubbed his neck, trying to fight down the blush creeping up on him. "Sooo…what's happen buddy?"

"Tonight, you will be treated right." Marco bows toward Star, kneeling on one leg. "I haven't been very nice toward you. And that isn't fair. I have my own issues, but you have been dealing with a lot too. We both know what we want finally." Marco looks directly into her sky blue orbs, them reflecting Marco's red and blue eyes. "Let's have tonight be nice, peaceful and fun." He gently grabs Star's gloved hand and kisses it.

This was really romantic to Star, something out of a fairy tale. She normally hates stuff like this, but with Marco being so earnest and sweet, she will enjoy herself. "My, this is really fancy Diaz." Both teens stand up tall, holding each other's hands. "But I'm not mad with you. Just tired of…"

"…being the bad guy, when you are clearly not." Marco finished her thought. "From this day onward, you will be treated right by me. I promise you." The boy gave a proud smile, making Star's heart flutter. "How about we get started." Marco held out his arm, which Star grabbed gently. Guiding her toward a chair, he pulled it out as Star sat down. Pushing her in, Marco raced into the kitchen to get some food for the two of them. Star just couldn't believe this was happening.

'Marco really put a lot of effort into this…' She tells herself, playing with her fork. Soon, she begins having a play 'sword fight' with her fork and knife, making various sound effects. Marco comes back outside, spotting Star having a very 'imaginative' fight. Smirking he just places the plate of Nachos in the table's center. "So, having a good fight there?"

Star snaps out of her game and grins. "Lefty was losing to the strikes of Righty…the battle will continue later." The two giggled for a few moments before Star notices the Nachos. "You made Nachos?!"

"Um…I made a lot of stuff Star." Marco said softly, looking toward the kitchen. "Made surgaritos…which I don't plan on eating. And a special Mewni Dish I have a  _good feeling_ you like." Star's eyes morphed into her namesake; only her dad ever made  _that_ for her.

"Wow…you went all out." Star said quietly, looking away. "…Thank you."

"You deserve the best." Marco said confidently, folding his arms. "So, um…I never had a date thing before." He looked at the table, laughing softly. "How do these things go again?"

"Marco Diaz." Star looked directly into his eyes. "You get all this great stuff set up, and you have no idea how to pull off a date?" Marco only nods, making the princess burst into laughter. "Jeez, don't worry much."

"…But I don't want to mess up…" Marco answered back, with Star simply shaking her head. Her smile warmed Marco's heart, calming down whatever nerves were rattling around. "Okay, so it's just like us hanging out normally, but more romantic."

"Exactly!" Star answered, pointing her finger at Marco. "See? You know what you're doing buddy." She takes a few bites from the Nachos. "These are the best Nacho's you ever made!"

"Those are special nachos, using various spices I normally don't use." Star tilted her head, making Marco snicker. "Basically, they are my SUPER Nachos."

"You have to make these every night for now on." Star points her finger at Marco sternly, making the boy roll his eyes.

"Sure thing." The two ate in silence, silently enjoying each other's company. The only emotions surrounding Star and Marco, were joyful ones. No more anger, hatred or sadness.

* * *

Glossaryck was watching their 'date' intently, holding out an orb."See Moon? The boy is quite the romantic." The blue magic man told the Queen, who was watching the date alongside River.

"Mmm…the boy made those Nacho things? I know my daughter talks highly of them but…" River only laughed, rudely interrupting his wife.

"The boy knows how to win a girls heart. I taught him everything he knows." He patted his chest, making Moon shake her head in annoyance. Glossaryck snickered, enjoying the royal couple's reactions.

"The kid asked me to make help make a Mewni Dish with him. You know the one." Moon and River shared baffled looks. "Marco really wants to make Star happy."

"I only make that for her…" River wipes a tear away. "I like Marco a lot."

"Yes, I know dear. You talked about him being 'future king' to me often enough." Moon said in fake annoyance. She looked at the duo, chatting away and laughing. Moon smiled, seeing her daughter so happy. "My little girl is growing up so fast."

"She really is Moon." Glossaryck also felt great pride, but not just for Star. He is very impressed with Marco's growth across the past few weeks. Feeling tainted magic that got progressively worse over time, he thought the kid would be under Toffee's control by now. But his heart was strong, pushing him in the right direction. Seeing the boy with his latest student now, warms his own heart. Emotions don't come out often for the blue magic man, but he  _does_ have them. He makes the orb slightly larger, so Moon and River can continue watching the date.

* * *

Unknowing to the blue man, was another party watching the date. Tom made a small fire portal on the side of the backyard, with it linked to a large TV in the underworld. Janna, Jackie, Pete, Ferg, Alfonzo and even the Diaz's were watching the date. Tom and Janna made a huge event out of it, despite Jackie sternly telling the two 'they need privacy'.

"Can't believe he made Nachos…" Tom shook his head. "This is a  _date_."

"Dude, the Diaz has charms. He wooed more than just Star after all." Janna threw her arm around Jackie, giving her a wink. The skater girl rolled her eyes and shoved some pop-corn in her mouth.

"Yeah, keep talking girl. You okay with this?" Jackie asks honestly. Janna only smiles, laying back in the couch.

"It's cool. Maybe things will get better now." Tom and Janna give a look of equal understanding.

A hero soon jumps on the couch, munching on food. Yes, even Finn is watching this. Despite protests from FP and Jake, he visited the 'other' Underworld, hearing word from Tom that his bro is having a lucky date. "Hope my bro has a radical date. He earned it." Finn looks proudly at the screen, spotting Marco being overjoyed. "Reminds me when I first met Flame Princess…"

Pete pats Finn's back, giving him a warm smile. "Glad you could make it buddy."

"Me too dude." Finn smiles back, patting Pete's back. The Diaz's are just overjoyed with their son, watching the screen with pride.

"My boy turned into a man. So proud of him." He wipes a tear away, with Mrs. Diaz looking at Star. She is laughing joyfully and having fun.

"I get the impression Estella hasn't been doing well lately…so this is good for her." Mrs. Diaz comments, with Jackie and Janna nodding. "Really?"

"Yep." Janna crushes a can on her head. "One reason I broke up with Diaz is to stop her being down. The other reason…is because I think me and Marco are better off as friends." She smirks, laying back. "That's all I wanted anyway; having my best friend back. I have him back, so the princess can have fun with her boy toy."

Jackie and Tom look at her with shock, looking at one another. Tom speaks up first. "So  _that_ is the reason you dated him?"

"No, it was because I  _do_ love him hellboy. But despite knowing Marco loves me…he loves her  _more_. And that's cool." Janna sighs contently. "Just want my friends to be happy. Hope this works."

"Yeah, me too." Tom answers confidently. Finn looks over at the two and smiles. It reminds him of how close Jake and Marcy are with him. He throws his arms around the two and smirks.

"You guys are cool. My bro is lucky to have you as friends." Finn says joyfully, with Tom smiling in response.

"Just don't get to cozy hero, you have to head home after this. Don't want Flame to burn me up." Finn and Tom shiver, with Janna laughing loudly. Everyone grows silent soon after, watching the date continue.

* * *

Marco and Star continued their date, eating the Mewni Dish currently. It is of a special bird creature, having the best meat of the kingdom. Glossaryck explained to Marco how hard it is to hunt down, but the boy's 'Blood Vision' and skills with karate made it no problem for the boy. Star's face was blood thirsty, eating the meal like it would vanish in a second. Marco enjoyed the food a lot too, though after seeing how much Star loved the food, he gave her most of it.

"Man…I haven't had that in yeeeeeeeeaaaaaarrrrrrs Marco. Felt  _so_ _ **good**_!" Star moaned contently, patting her stomach. She looked at Marco lovingly, with the boy smiling wide. "Thank you, this has been my best date ever."

"Really? I'm sure you dated more guys than just Tom." Marco said casually, but Star shook her head, making Marco's eyes grow wide. "Wow…I'm really lucky."

"Glad you realized that cupcake." Star poked Marco's noise, making the boy blush slightly. "But I should have expected this. You  _are_ my best friend." Marco felt his heart warm up hearing this.

"Even after everything…the fact you still see me as that makes me happy." Marco gave a grateful smile. "Come on, I have one a special surprise to close the night out." He took out a remote and it played some music. The song that played was completely shocking to Star; the Love Sentence Song 'Just Friends'. "I know what you are thinking, but this song is oddly fitting." He holds out his hand, growing a playful smirk. "Can I have this dance Princess Butterfly?"

Star looks at his hand and takes it. "Of course, Prince Diaz." The two hold one another, swaying to the music. Soon, the duo began hearing the lyrics to the song.

_It was no secret_

_The way that we feel_

_A love that's so pure_

_A love that's so real_

Marco felt his body heat up, with Star's face nuzzled within his chest. The two began moving spinning each other around, laughing joyfully.

_You showed me your world_

_And it felt like a sign_

_But you acted too slow_

_And you ran out of ti-i-ime_

The two slowed down their dancing, with the lyrics hurting both on some level. Marco due to it really fitting in his mind, as he waited 'too long' to make the move his heart has been screaming for the past few months. Star just hummed to the song, feeling her heart marks glow brightly.

_And now we'll be just friends_

_We will be just friends_

_And now we'll be just friends_

_Be just friends_

Star and Marco began moving in a waltz at this point, gently holding one another. It was as if…time was frozen and the two only had one another. The only thing the teens saw was each other, their eyes locked on one another. But what Star didn't expect, was the lyrics beginning to change.

_And we will always be,_

_Together and not apart,_

_Best friends,_

_Forever and ever…_

The voice didn't come from the speakers though, it came from Marco himself. He softly sang, letting Star fall into his arms. She looked at him lovingly, intently watching his moving lips.

_My bright Star,_

_Will never burn out,_

_With her warrior,_

_Beside her every wake._

He leaned into Star and the two finally kissed one another. Unlike before, this was something both threw every emotion into. Star held on to Marco for dear life, while Marco poured every ounce of life into the kiss. They let go after four full minutes of kissing and had stupid smiles on their face. Hugging one another, they slowly continued dancing, not saying another word.

* * *

Glossaryck was tearing up watching the sight before him, holding back clapping. Seeing these two troubled souls finally connect with one another warmed his heart. Moon and River were touched as well, with the Queen letting out a tear of joy. River was twitching, annoyed at Marco kissing  _his_ pumpkin. But with one soft touch of Moon's hand, River calmed down, feeling prideful of Star and Marco.

In the Underworld though, the reaction had a lot more shouting.

"My man! You did it!" Shouted Tom.

"Ah, to think, I didn't think my eyes could cry still…" Pete wept a single tear.

"That Diaz man…" Jackie smirked.

"I'm proud of you." Janna said softly, holding her heart.

"That was amazing! My bro did it!" Finn shouts, posing with his sword.

Mr. and Mrs. Diaz said nothing, just smiling proudly at the two teens. Behind Mr. Diaz's back, he passed his wife ten bucks, admitting losing to his bet.

* * *

Sitting on a tree top was Buff Frog, spying on Marco and Star for Ludo. Watching the entire date, he felt his heart warm up. He remembered vividly his fight with the boy a while back. Seeing him so happy, made the frog creature pleased.

"Buff Frog overjoyed. Karate Boy and Princess won hearts. Master will be pleased." Buff Frog made a portal and meets up with Ludo, sitting in his castle. He spots Buff Frog, wondering what he learned.

"So, what did you find out? Don't tell me they killed each other..." He said somberly; he wanted to best the duo.

"No master. Boy is okay again." Ludo shot out of his throne, having a warm smile on his face. He worried about Marco, as he didn't want one of his greatest foes going crazy on him. And…he felt sympathy for the boy.

"Marco…really is her boyfriend now." He smiled warmly. "Good work Buff Frog. We will have another fight with them soon. Now, we can fight fairly." Buff Frog saluted and hopped away. Ludo was in deep thought, wondering what plan he should act out next.

* * *

What about our two heroes? They are currently sitting down on the warm ground, watching a red light shine down upon them gently. "Star, I have one more surprise."

"Yes…" She said with lidded eyes, still dazed from before. He opens a small black box, having a red gem inside it.

"I got this for you. It's the Ruby Gem of Light. I hope…I hope you like it." He slides the gem over her finger. Star smiles and holds Marco tight.

"I love it." They stayed still, hugging one another. The two lovers finally accepted one another, ready to face whatever the future holds after much suffering and emotional confusion.


	17. Grand Finale

While tonight had love in the air for our troubled mess-up twins, one lizard was having quite the fit. Flipping his desk over, Toffee Eclipse was fuming at his plan falling apart. He really thought Marco Diaz would get his point, how Butterflies can hurt you. But, he seemed to really  _enjoy_ being around Star Butterfly. "Now they are going to be even  _closer_ …sigh, hate when a good plan fails. I got others, but still." He picks up his desk and begins fixing things up. "He knows he got hurt, but still loves her…"

Toffee held his own heart, feeling memories of Moon flickering in his mind. "Oh…how I hate this accursed thing."

"I wouldn't really, it makes you have a soul…somewhat." Toffee is shocked, leaping into a combative stance. No one intrudes his lair, he is well aware of his surroundings. But the familiar image of a blue magic man with a gem in his forehead comes into vision. "Been a while."

"Hello, Glossaryck. My, it's been  _far_ too long." Toffee sat back down, folding his arms like the businessman he is…or rather wants to be. "Tell me. Why are you paying me a visit old friend?"

"Well, how do I put it lightly…" Glossaryck grows a heated face and blasts Toffee with a powerful wave of blue magic. The lizard is now stuck inside a blue dome, unable to move any part of his body. Looking at the blue magic man's face, scared Toffee for one of few times in his long life. " _ **Don't mess with my students like that again.**_ "

"You really care about them, don't you?" Toffee said dryly, with Glossaryck not moving a muscle on his face. "I'm not stopping my plans."

"Mmm…guess I have to make myself clearer to you. After all, you and Moon weren't very good at listening to me." Glossaryck started shrinking the blue dome, with Toffee's bones beginning to crunch. The lizard kept his face, as this didn't hurt him. " _ **You crossed a line**_."

"There was a line? That is news to me. Never heard of this so-called 'line' when Moon was taken from me." Glossaryck had a softer gazed, but retained his bitter expression. "Why are you letting that boy suffer? She will only hurt him."

"You are funny Toffee. I'm not just a magical teacher for princesses. I help groom future kings too." Toffee's eyes shoot wide open from shock. "Yep."

"No wonder…" Toffee soon grew a bitter frown, growing across his large jaw.

"Now, how about I end this." Glossaryck snapped his fingers, releasing the dome. Toffee fell on the ground, his body all twisted. As the lizard snapped bones in place, Glossaryck sat on the lizard's desk, having a stern look. "I didn't mean to hurt you, truly. Just don't want my two students to suffer."

"They will suffer more in the future.  _By my hand_." Toffee slammed his fist on the table, not unnerving Glossaryck one bit. "Monsters need to get rights again."

"I agree." Toffee raised an eyebrow. "But the way you are going after this will lead to more problems. Hey, what do I know? I'm not the all-seeing guy or anything." Glossaryck floated up in the air and began leaving. "But again.  _ **Don't do what you did before again.**_  I WILL kill you personally." He vanished, leaving Toffee to his own personal thoughts.

* * *

To say the night went well for Marco was a huge understatement. The boy held Star Butterfly passed out cold and cooing in her sleep, within his arms. His heart fluttered, taking in her features as she slept gracefully. "You know…you really are a princess sometimes Star. I'm sorry things have been rough lately." He picked her bridal style, walking slowly into their home. "But I was serious about my promise. No more emotional pain anymore. I will  _never_ hurt you again." He kissed her forehead, spotting a small smile form on her face. Gently walking up the stairs, he quietly opened Star's door, placing her in her bed. Placing pink covers over her, he sat on her bed.

"…Marco?" Star said softly, half-asleep.

"I'm right here. You passed out and I put you in your bed. Try to get some rest, my princess." He kissed her forehead, making Star sigh contently.

"Can you stay with me?" Star asked pleadingly, her eyes half open. Marco nodded and placed his head on the side of the bed. "No silly…sleep on the bed with me."

"Y-You okay with that?" Star gave a warm smile, silently answering Marco's question. He complied, sleeping next to her. Giving her a soft hug, they both closed their eyes, entering the realm of dreams. Unknowing to the two, was a blue man warping back after a heated encounter. Looking at Star and Marco, Glossaryck only smiled.

"While I'm not  _really_ supposed to butt into matters, I feel complied to protect you two." He sits on the edge of Star's bed. "You two…have an interesting future together. But your magic is deeply tainted." Floating toward Marco, he feels his head. "And you boy…your soul is badly tainted. I don't know how to fully fix this, but I will start teaching you soon." Looking at how peaceful Star is sleeping, Glossaryck can't help but remember Moon at her age. "You mirror your mother so closely, it's honestly horrifying sometimes princess." He studies the sky, noticing a red moon shining down. "You two being together will help that curse not affect you much." Glossaryck feels something coming into the Diaz House and warps away.

* * *

"You sure this is a good idea?" Alfonzo asks, opening the door slightly. Janna and Ferg snicker, making the boy sigh. "They will kill us tomorrow. Bad enough we watched their date."

"It will be fine." Janna waved her hand. "Besides, I want to see something." Ferg shrugged his shoulders and walked ahead. Alfonzo placed his hand on Janna's shoulder, giving a somber smile. "What?"

"This is about that locket, right?" Janna's smirk dropped, only sighing. "He wouldn't give it to her. In fact…he would give it back to  _you_ honestly."

"Yeah yeah…" Janna walked ahead, leaving Alfonzo feeling bad for his friend. He deeply respects the choice Janna made, but he cannot help but feel sorry for her. Ignoring this feeling, the skinny boy looked across the house and was surprised to find it cleaned up.

"So Marco cleaned up before the date? Impressive…" Alfonzo only folded his arms, smiling fondly. Ferg looked outside and whistled. Janna and Alfonzo followed the sound, spotting the backyard.

"Dang, he went  _all_ out," Janna smirked proudly, spotting how pressed the tablecloth was and the fancy dinner plates. She felt something tap her shoulder, with Alfonzo holding a letter. "What's this?"

"Read it." He said bluntly. She picked it up and was surprised, to say the least.

_Dear Janna,_

_Yeah, I knew you would break into my house after my date with Star. I know you are snickering right now, so don't give me that face! Anyway, I have something special to give you tomorrow. I feel…horrible that we ended things the way we did. Sure, you were the one to call it off, but I felt you were cheated._

_But I want to make myself clear, I will always love you. For years, you have been there for me…even making me get REALLY ticked off from time to time. But you were always my friend. Recent weeks have been wonderful with you. Us being so close was great and this will not change._

_My heart belongs to not just Star. It belongs to you too. I will always be your Safe Kid and we will continue being best friends. Promise me, that you will still be my friend, even though I will likely start dating Star after tonight. I…I want to say sorry about this. Really I do. Part of me really feels sorry personally._

_But a part of my heart is overjoyed being with Star, and I cannot deny that part of my heart any longer. I think that is why you called things off, to begin with; you knew something like this would happen at some point. That being said, I caused a lot of problems with my troubled heart and those stupid moons. I will make things up to you tomorrow. But if you notice, the letter has a gift inside it. Rather, something you gave to me by mistake._

_The Eclipse Necklace is only for you. No one else. Please, keep it. Um…maybe view it as a symbol of our friendship? Past relationship? Uh…pawn it online? I'm sure you will do SOMETHING with it. I know you, troublemaker. Thank you so much for being there for me recently. You have a warm heart hidden under that tough exterior._

_May we continue being friends and you continue messing with my life…just please don't sleep in the closet anymore. Please, that isn't cool._

_Love, Marco Diaz._

_P.S.: I have a sneaking feeling you and Tom had something set up to watch my date with Star. If that is the case…not cool._

Janna felt tears coming down the paper, with Ferg passing her the necklace. She put it on again, feeling the intense warmth coming from the magical locket. "Marco…you are such a dork."

"That is Diaz for you." Ferg, Alfonzo, and Janna jump at the voice. Glossaryck appears before them, smiling fondly. "You girl, come here."

Janna listens, walking closer to the blue magic man. "You are very selfless and…thank you. This is important to both of them."

"I had a feeling, so yeah." Janna still has tears coming down her face, with Glossaryck studying the locket. "Yeah, Marco gave this back."

"He didn't mean to hurt you, honestly." The blue man sighs. "I helped him set this whole thing up and he mentioned how you likely are hurting from all this. Despite being with the princess right now, he truly loves you." He placed his hand her shoulder. "And…I will help you control your magic."

"Really blue dude? Cool. I will bring pudding tomorrow." Glossaryck lit up at the comment, having a grin. "What flavor?"

"The kid is giving me three-packs of chocolate, so how about vanilla?" Janna grins, shaking Glossaryck's hand.

* * *

Ferg and Alfonzo walk upstairs, wondering where Star and Marco are. They spot Star's door half open, with Ferg grinning stupidly. "No." Alfonzo orders.

"Why?" Ferg asks, with Alfonzo rubbing the bridge between his glasses.

"What if they are doing the… _thing_?" He asks, with Ferg shaking his head.

"Marco wouldn't do that." Alfonzo nods in response, agreeing with his lifelong friend. They open the door and spot a surprising sight. Star and Marco were sound asleep, holding one another like teddy bears. "…Thinking what I'm…"

Ferg is already at it, taking pictures from all angles with his camera. Alfonzo smirks and takes some pictures of his own. The two snuck out of the room and closed the door gently.

* * *

In the Underworld, our Hero of Ooo waved good-bye, jumping into the portal back to his world. Tom though, felt hallow somewhat. He looked at his hands, feeling…nothing. To think, the demon would feel  _nothing_ after losing his love. But he slowly begins realizing that maybe…Star wasn't the one.

Slouching toward his couch, he begins rattling his mind for answers, unaware of Pete and Jackie watching him. "Did…we really love one another? I mean, sure. I had great times with Starship. But us dating lead to more problems than it was worth." He softly chuckled. "At least I made friends with Marco and others over it."

"Dude…" Pete pats Tom's back, sitting next to him. "You two  _really_ did love one another. Just that…"

"Her heart belonged to Marco, I know," Tom said dryly before sighing. "I can't even hate him. He is my best friend next to you man. He wanted to move on, but part of him couldn't."

Jackie soon leans over the couch, rubbing Tom's red hair. "Dude, it's cool. We are here for you."

"Thanks." Tom made a small smile, joyful at not being alone. Pete only smirks and snaps his fingers. He hands Tom an envelope. "Uh…what is this?"

"Diaz wanted to keep this a surprise but I…uh, 'borrowed' it. Just open it." Tom opened the large envelope and was shocked. It was his various contracts with clients that he gave to Marco a few weeks ago. Over thirty people were covered, including trusted ones his father deals with. Covering them though, was a long letter.

_Hey Tom,_

_I just wanted to say sorry. I mean…you have been dealing with A LOT putting up with me and Star's confusion towards one another. And as a demon, you could have made things a lot harder on my end. Hell, you could have turned me into a demon and forced me to do something really dang horrible! But you didn't…you respected me and became my friend. I tried working with you and honestly thought you & Star would be happy together._

_But…she honestly does love me back and well…I'm positive you and Janna spyed on our date tonight. And you saw…everything. I cannot imagine how angry and hurt you feel right now, so I'm deeply sorry. Likely not going to make up for things at all, but I worked on those contracts for ya._

_Wow at some of your clients. That Bowser guy seems like a chump. But that Ganon guy…you made a good deal with him I think. I looked them over, proofread them and re-wrote some things. The originals are here of course, but I wanted to do something right for my best friend._

_This whole mess with the moons has pushed us into becoming bros-for-life. And I will never let anything ruin our friendship. I mean that. If I could do anything else, let me know man. I promise to make things up for you, more so after tonight. So, hope to see you tomorrow!_

_Your Bro, Marco Diaz_

_P.S.: Please don't burn me to ash…I really do want to enjoy dating Star, even though I know this upsetting you. Let me live…at least for a week._

Tom felt a warm smile creep on his face, gently placing the folder down. "That Diaz man…he really is an upstanding guy. I will let him live for a week." Jackie and Pete give dark glares. "Kidding! I won't kill him. More so after this." He taps the contracts on his hand. "Some of these were  _really_ hard to draft. Diaz helped a lot."

"Good." Jackie kissed Tom's cheek, shocking the demon. "I don't want you hurting my friend." Tom felt his cheek warm up, looking at Jackie. "What?"

"You kissed me…" Tom rubbed his cheek softly. "Why?"

Jackie blushed, rubbing her arm. "I mean, you are cool and stuff." She threw herself over the couch. "Maybe we could know each other better." Pete just looked between the two of them, making a soft chuckle.

"Tom, what did I tell you about the demon charms?" He gave his friend a playful wink, with Tom snickered at.

"Can it Pete." He looked at Jackie, having a soft smile. "Thanks…I feel a bit better now."

The three friends hung out for the night, enjoying one another's company.

* * *

It was a new day in Echo Creek, one filled with newfound futures for our heroes. Two of them were slowly waking up, being the recent couple of Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz. After having a lovely night out, they finally accepted one another's emotions. Marco slowly opened his eyes, spotting the blond princess next to him. He felt so confident and happy…this…this is all he wanted for a long time now. Months of dealing with emotional stress and heartbreak, he is finally with the one he loves. Poking her heart-marked cheek, she slowly opens her own eyes.

"Marco? Where are we…" Star said in a half-dazed state, making Marco chuckle. She spots him donning his Blood Moon Ball attire, soon holding her own hand. It was gloved in blue, making her form a small smile. "So last night wasn't just a dream then."

"You really thought it was a dream?" Marco sat up, rubbing his neck. "I thought it was  _quite_ real." Star snickered and lightly punched Marco's arm. The two laughed loudly and hopped out of bed. "Um…thank you."

"For what buddy?" Star used her wand to zap herself into more traditional clothing. Now she was wearing a blue dress with a spider necklace. Marco formed a small smile, blushing slightly. "Ooooohhhhh. The date thingy. It was really sweet." Star kissed his cheek, with it glowing a vivid red.

"I just wanted to say that is all. I mean, I was a huge jerk to you and…" Star held a finger over Marco's lips, having a soft smile.

"Look, that's in the past. We will move on from everything." She held his hand tightly. "Right?"

Marco clasped a hand over hers, kissing her cheek. "Yes, we will." The two stayed still, their faces very close toward one another. They were almost going to kiss but a blue man appeared in the center of them, startling them.

* * *

"Wow! Um…hey Glossaryck. Wait! You are here for the pudding?! Oh, man, gotta…" The blue man only laughed. "Oh…here to spook us than. Welp." Marco slouched forward, making Star giggle.

"I'm glad you kids are okay but I need to speak with you both about something." His voice was serious, with Star and Marco nodding intently. "Good! Follow me." He floats near Star's bed, with the two sitting down next to one another. "Kids, you both are tainted. This is  _not_ a good thing and it means Toffee could harm you still."

Marco clenched his fists and felt his mask grow slightly. Star placed a soft hand on his shoulder, calming him down somewhat. "What does he want?"

"You two to hating one another." Star and Marco's faces got pale hearing this news. Both  _knew_ something like this was the case, more so after that horrid vision the other day. "But after last night, I'm assuming that won't happen. Oh, and kid?" Glossaryck looked directly at Marco. "That gem you found for Star will help with things. It is filled with positive magic, so she should keep it on."

"I wasn't going to take it off though…it looks sssuuuuupppppeeeerrr pretty and it shines off my face!" She holds it in front of Glossaryck, with the blue man snickering. Marco is just happy Star enjoyed her gift. Reminded him of when he gave Janna the locket. Thinking about Janna made Marco sigh, but still, maintain a smile…as he had something special planned for his close friend.

"Good to hear that Princess. Now Marco." Glossaryck sits on the boy's head, patting it softly. "You are going to train in dark magic, as you have  _quite_ a lot of it bottled up inside you. It's going to be hard, but I'm sure you can do it."

"Understood," Marco said seriously, in a stern tone that impressed both Glossaryck and Star. "But what about Star? Is she going to be okay? She was hit by the Blood Moon too…"

"Well…the princess has access to more powerful magic, but when her heart is tested, 'darkness' comes over. Basically, it's like that nagging voice that annoys you from time to time." Star raised a finger. "Don't say I'm like that please." She dropped it, pouting. Looking within herself, Star realized it could be that 'dark' voice that told her those horrid things about Marco before. Shaking her head and lightly patting her cheeks, she gave a beaming smile. "Ah, you aren't worried well. But you two need to speak with someone first…rather two people."

Marco leaped out of the bed and stood tall. "I'm ready to speak with her parents." Glossaryck only sighed, making Marco confused. "Um…who are we talking about then?"

"Trusted High Counsel of Magic Members. Follow me, kids." He opens his eye wide and tackles into the two teens, confused and horrified.

* * *

The trio crash into the ground, with Marco feeling horrified. "We…were…in…your….EYE MAN?!" Marco shouted in utter panic, earning an eye roll from Glossaryck.

"It's nothing kid…it hurts me a bit though." Star patted the blue man's head, trying to make him feel better. "That's sweet. Thanks, princess."

"Soooo…this place looks fancy." And it was, with a tall building surrounded by empty space. The building had a humanoid moose standing guard, holding a baton sternly. Marco tilted his eyes, spotting other beings come and go into the building. Star ran ahead, with Glossaryck and Marco sighing in unison.

"She's always the eager one…" Both caught up with Star, who was shaking the moose's hand. He looked slightly nervous, normally dealing with people being serious toward him.

"Why hello Miss. And Glossaryck!? Please, come in with your students." He lets Glossaryck and Star through but stops Marco from entering. "What is your deal?"

"Is that the way to speak to the future King of Mewni?" Glossaryck said in a serious tone, making the moose guard shake slightly. "Don't worry, he's with me." The moose sighed, opening the building's door. Marco felt oddly proud of being called 'future king' though he's surprised Glossaryck said it so sternly.

The three stand still an elevator for a good five minutes, continuing to go up. Marco took out his cellphone, playing some endless runner game. Star grabbed the phone and was having a lot of fun with the game. This pushed Glossaryck to strike a conversation with Marco. "So kid, what do you have planned? I mean…"

Marco folded his arms, thinking intently. "Well, I have a lot of date plans lined up, but I also have those gifts we talked about for my friends. They…put up with a lot to get where I and Star are right now. I feel they deserve to know how much we appreciate them." The boy smiled, with the blue man only feeling pride.

"Good, but I was talking about your magic." Marco made an 'oh' sound, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "I know you are eager to learn kid, but…it will take a lot out of you."

"Anything to protect Star and my friends," Marco said in a dead-serious tone. Glossaryck simply nodded and sat on the boy's shoulder. "Um…thank you for helping set things up last night. I know you didn't have to do that, but seriously. Star loved the Mewni dish we cooked."

"No problem. You still are getting those puddings? I mean, Janna promised me vanilla." Marco's eyes grew wide before sighing. "The girl snuck into the house last night to see if you gave princess that necklace. Surprised you didn't honestly."

"Wouldn't that be messed up man?" Marco asked the blue man rhetorically. "That necklace was for Janna  _only._ No one else. I mean, I don't know… But I don't want to hurt anyone." He looks over toward Star, having fun playing the game with a wide grin on her face. "Never again."

Glossaryck studies Marco, feeling intense positive emotions oozing from him. He only smiles, patting Marco's hair. "Good work kid. I hope you are ready to face the scissor maker soon."

"What are you…" Before he could finish his thought, the door opened, leading to a roundtable of very powerful magical people.

* * *

At the edge of the table, was Queen Moon Butterfly, sitting proudly. Surrounding her was Heckapoo and Rhombulus, two powerful members of the commission. Star felt no ounce of fear, while Marco was slightly shaking as he walked closer to the table. Glossaryck strolled in as if he owned the place…which was partially true. The Universe DID create him and in turn, he created Heckapoo and Rhombulus. He floated to the center, shouting loudly. "Hello, children! Been behaving?"

"Don't taunt us Glossaryck! We were in the middle of a great game…" The diamond man looked over at the shaking Marco and the jumping Star. "We have guests? You never bring us, guests…you jerk."

"HEY! Don't talk to him like that diamond face." Heckapoo hissed, making Rhombulus groan loudly. His snakes looked angry before all three parts of the man sighed. "Ooohhhh…the princess has a  _handsome_ new boyfriend. What's your name sweetie?"

"My name is…" Marco was going to answer, but Star gave a dark look at Heckapoo, sending the message  _'he's mine'_  vividly. The fire demoness laughed loudly before sitting back down. "Marco?" The human boy looked back at Star, completely oblivious to what was going on. Star only sighed, grabbing Marco and sitting down with him. Moon and Glossaryck only sighed, standing up tall.

"Hello everyone. Today is a very important meeting, as Glossaryck summoned us here." Marco and Star looked around in confusion, unaware of this fact. "It has come to my attention that a great foe has attacked my daughter… _Toffee_."

"WHAT?!" Rhombulus got up like a spring and began shooting diamonds all over. "Let me at that lizard jerk and I will freeze him!"

"Uh, like  _last_ time?" Heckapoo said with sass. "Oh right, you let him  _go_. Like the  _idiot_ you are." The two glared at each other, with Marco inwardly snickering to himself.

"Children…" Glossaryck said sternly, making both magical guardians groan. "Good! Now, I took care of him for now and…"

"Wait…" Marco stood up, surprising everyone in the room. "You… _fought_ him? I mean…why?" The table was silent, confused by Marco's question. "What I mean, aren't you only some teacher of the spell book?" Marco looked around, feeling intense eyes glare at him. "I will be quiet now. Sorry…"

Star pat his back, looking at Glossaryck intently. "My boyfriend just asked a question, sooooo…hope that's cool with you guys."

Glossaryck looked at Marco, feeling bad for the kid. "It's fine boy. You just want answers, and I get that. You seem like the listening type anyway. See, he crossed a line and messed with  _ **my**_ students. No one does."

Marco and Star felt happy hearing this, knowing that Glossaryck truly has their back. But the implications of this rang heavily through the entire table. Moon was shocked, as he didn't interfere on that level when Toffee attacked her years ago. Heckapoo and Rhombulus just looked at him in shock; they always viewed their 'father' as someone who only 'watches'. Seeing him 'do' things…is very new for them, despite living thousands of years. Moon coughed, getting everyone's attention. "Very good. So what should we do next? I would like to learn more about him."

Marco raised his hand as if he was in school. Star snickered, pushing him to stand up. "Come on silly, just shout stuff! I do that all the tiiiiimmeeee when at dinners with family and stuff." Star had a beaming smile, making Marco calm down slightly. Moon only smirked at the duo, seeing a lot of herself in both of them.

"Okay…um, Star and I had a dream a few days ago. Toffee talked to me one-on-one, telling me 'never trust a Butterfly, they will only hurt you'. He vanished and he forced…" The dream was very hard for him to recall, so he lightly punched himself. This did not go unnoticed, but he continued. "Star and I killed each other. Toffee than showed up again, telling me 'This is what Butterflies do'. As he left, I saw two figures. One short, one tall. But they were very blurry. Um…can that help out?"

The table was in utter shock hearing this, Moon mostly. Her face was tensing up, narrowing her gaze at Marco. "He did that to me when I was about to marry River." She leaned on the table, sighing while rubbing her temples. "Okay, this is interesting. So…are you dating my daughter Marco Diaz?"

"Yes." He answered proudly, holding a hand over his chest. "I will protect Star with my life." Star gave a playful glare. "But Star can defend herself too! I know that." She giggled, with Heckapoo clapping her hands mockingly.

"Wow. Good job boy. But uh…you have my thing." Marco takes out the scissors and hands them to her. "Mmm….River gave them to you?"

"Yeah…but if you need them back…" Marco rubbed his neck but Heckapoo tossed them right at Marco. He caught them, looking slightly confused. "Oh, that's right. I have to complete trails to fully earn these."

"Correct! Which will start…" She opened a portal and kicked Marco into it. "Now." She closed it, with Star being horrified.

"What did you DO TO MY MARCO?!" She hissed, with her wand glowing bright red. Moon noticed and looked confused. "Get. Him. Back. Now."

"Don't worry princess." She laughed loudly, making Star pout. "Just give him about…ten minutes."

"That wasn't very nice." Rhombulus comments, sighing in annoyance. "The kid will be horrified at…" Soon though, a portal opened right up, with a torn up Marco sighing in utter annoyance. He held a fire staff, having a grin plastered over his face. "…uh, never mind."

"How long was that? I took out I think….forty clones?" Heckapoo only smirked, folding her arms.

"That was five years. Impressive… You can keep those for now." Marco plopped into his seat next to Star, feeling quite drained. She patted his back, rubbing it softly.

"I'm fine Star. Just…wow. Five years flew by so fast…" Marco said softly, making Star grow a nervous look. "I will explain what happened when we come home." She leaned on his arm, with the two feeling happy. Moon only smiled, impressed with Marco's strong mind.

"So, despite that interruption…" She glared at Heckapoo, who only had a playful smirk on her face. "We have a clear idea of Toffee's intentions. Star and Marco…remain close and don't let those visions harm you. And Glossaryck, continue watching over them."

* * *

Will do my queen." He bows gratefully and looks back up. "So, taking the lovebirds back to Earth." He snaps his fingers, with Star and Marco vanishing. He is left though, having a serious look on his face. "They are tainted, my queen."

"I…I am aware. The Curse is affecting the boy much." She remembers his face, covered by that mask. "He will be okay…right?"

"Well…it depends on my queen." Heckapoo and Rhombulus looked intently at the blue man, being slightly annoyed with their looks. "Children? This is for grown-ups."

"Come on! We never get to hear the good stuff…" Rhombulus moans. Hecakpoo only sighs, getting up and leaving the table. "I'm not leaving."

"Come on diamond face, we are leaving  _now_." She drags him by the collar, with the diamond warrior silently cursing under his breath. Moon and Glossaryck are alone now, feeling deep worry for Star and Marco.

"My queen…they will be okay. I will watch over them as if, they were my children." Moon's eyes grew wide, folding her arms in interest. "I honestly do care for them and see a  _very bright_ future if they remain close. He will be a great king."

"If you say so…he  _did_ seem prideful about my daughter Marco." Moon gave a soft smile. "You sure he won't end up like Toffee?"

"I will ensure that  _never_ happens my queen." He leaves the room, with Moon feeling some sense of relief wash over her. She looks behind her, spotting Heckapoo taunting Rhombulus, who is sitting in his 'time out' corner. "Oh, those two…"

* * *

Two teens came jumping of a portal, after having quite the chat with the Commission of Magic. Marco rubbed his neck, feeling drained from spending years or rather a few moments, in another dimension. Star picked her boyfriend up, patting his shoulders. "So…you okay buddy?" Marco gave a faint, smile hugging Star tight. "I'm not going to vanish on your or anything."

"I…really missed you," Marco said heartfelt, as he really missed Star. Despite looking okay, the battles for a few years really took a lot out of him. Star hugged him back, patting his back softly. The two ended their embrace, looking towards the door. The duo was in the Diaz Living Room, with Marco's portal landing them here. "Now, you ready to start a new day Star?"

"Yeah, let's do it." The two blood lovers held hands, walking out the front door and ready to face new adventures together.

* * *

In the Underworld, we see Tom chap his lips. The demon had a very long night, as he was playing video games and hanging out with Jackie and Pete. Looking on his bed, he sees Jackie cuddling a pillow. "Hey, wake up sleepy face."

"Uh…not now skateboard dude…trying to make some tricks…" Jackie mumbled, making Tom chuckle. He poked her noise, making the girl jump out of bed. "Wow! Where the heck…" She looked at a grinning Tom, smirking back in response. "Hey, dude. Uh…some night right?"

The demon only smiled warmly, throwing his arm around the skater girl. "Thank you for hanging out with me last night. It was…really needed." Tom was honestly happy for Star and Marco…but part of him was hurt the Mewni Princess really didn't love him. Jackie noticed Tom's somber expression, holding his hand firmly. "Jackie?"

"Dude…love is odd and it seems fate won in the end." She said sternly. Tom blinked for a few moments before he let things click in his mind; the Blood Moon picked Star and Marco. They are fated to be with one another. "How those two deal with fate though, is up to them. You aren't bound by any fate man. Love is up to you. Your choice." She played with her blue strand of hair. "I would be willing to chill with you."

Tom just folded his arms in amusement. He got up and pulled Jackie out of bed gently. The two walked toward his living room, seeing Pete flip through the folder of documents Marco worked on for Tom. The demon and skater girl stopped in the hallway though, with Tom looking directly in her eyes. "Look, I want…us to be honest with one another. Do you like me?" Jackie nods in response, having a wide smile etch across her face. "I can't say I like you back, but I think you are very pretty and a very nice person. I would love to go out with you, if that's cool."

Jackie just kissed Tom's cheek and walked ahead. "Yeah, sounds cool dude." Tom held his cheek, feeling it warm up. He simply took Jackie's hand, planning on having a good day with his new girlfriend.

* * *

Janna was just lounging on her couch, flipping through a book Pete gave her a few days ago. It was based on the Eclipse Moon, so she figured looking through the thing could give her answers. Mainly, what powers can she play with. "Mmm…I can use the Moon to shoot blasts of energy at people? Wicked." She put the book down though, playing with her Moon Locket. The cool sensation it offered reminded Janna of her past relationship with Marco. "I will always love the dork. But being friends with him is enough." She holds on to the locket tight, feeling a rush of magic flow through her. Closing her eyes, Janna floats out of her couch, hovering in the air. Opening them, the girl is surprised to see herself floating. "Man, this is sick!"

Janna flew around like a speeding bullet, enjoying her newfound powers until a doorbell rang. She crashed into the ground, leaning on a nearby coffee table. Mumbling curses under her breath, she spots a very surprising sight; Marco and Star. The boy spoke up first, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Can…we come in?"

The troublemaker made a mock bow, making Star giggle and Marco roll his eyes. Guided to a couch, the trio sat down. Silence was in the air for a good two minutes before Marco coughed. "Janna, I need to say sorry for everything. I mean, I wrote you that letter…"

"Letter?" Star asked confused. Marco rubbed his neck and opened his mouth. But the troublemaker stopped him from speaking.

"Yeah, Diaz wrote a letter, knowing I would watch your date together." Star's face beat red in response to this, slowly turning toward Marco. He just sighed and laid back on the couch. "Yep. You two are something else."

"Just…are we still friends?" Marco asks softly, having some longing laced in his voice. "Just because Star and I are a couple now, I don't want our history to just be tossed away like nothing. You are special to me Janna, my best friend."

Janna just smiled and gave a content grin. "Good, you are my friend still too. Now…can I sneak into your rooms at night and watch… _special_ nights?" At this point, Star's eyes were twitching in anger.

"Look, I don't do those things…" Star gave a playful grin towards Marco. "Unless…" Marco just jumped out of the couch ran away, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. Janna burst into tears with Star simply sighing.

* * *

Marco was leaning on a wall, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. "You two are going to kill me one of these days." He slid down on the wall, laughing softly to himself. Touching the seemingly glued-on mask upon his face, he gave a small smile. "Can't believe…all this stuff is coming to an end. The Moons…the stress…everything will be okay now."

"Not really kiddo." Marco heard a voice but couldn't find the source. "Uh. Take off that mask of yours." He listened and shockingly, it came off. The object had an ethereal red and blue glow. "I'm a special messager of the Moons and uh…you are doing good. I mean, now you picked your mate, the princess and things will be fine…for now."

"What are you…" Marco felt his body grow weak, shaking violently. The mask snapped back on Marco's face, making the boy groaned in pain. "What the heck was that?!" He heard a voice laugh loudly before it calmed down.

"Look, you will be summoned alongside Mewni's Princess when the time comes. But for now, enjoy this peace." The voice vanished now, with Marco now alone with his thoughts. Rubbing his head, he tried to wonder what that voice was implying but at this point he shook his head.

"Best I get back to the girls." He stood up and walked back into the living room, seeing Star and Janna wave hello at Marco. He smirked proudly that things are looking up, despite an unknown future ahead.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is my first project on AO3! Hope you guys like it. I write a lot on FanFiction.Net but this project I felt is one of my strongest works so far. Hope you all enjoy!


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